Interesting and Fun Facts About Machu Picchu

* Machu Picchu is located at an altitude of 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level.
* Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is the most known symbol of the Inca Empire.
* It is located on a mountain ridge through which the Urubamba River flows.
* Machu Picchu is one of the New Seven Wonders Of The World.
* The site was built around 1460 but abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers after a century.
* The site was forgotten by the world until 1911, when it was discovered by Hiram Bingham, an American historian.
* Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981.
* Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
* Machu Picchu is built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls.
* Its primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.
* Machu Picchu received great deal of attention after the National Geographic Society devoted their entire April 1913 issue to it.
* An area of 325.92 square kilometers around Machu Picchu was declared a 'Historical Sanctuary' of Peru in 1981.
* Machu Picchu is one of the most important archaeological sites in South America and a frequented tourist attraction in Peru.
* Machu Picchu comprises of around 140 structures.
* The Intihuatana stone located at Machu Picchu is one of many ritual stones in South America.
* Researchers believe that Intihuatana stone was built as an astronomic clock or calendar.
* In 1911, some people were found living on the site and a number of female mummies were also discovered.