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Cusco

Machu Picchu

Located 120 km from Cusco and set against the dramatic backdrop of lush dark green vegetation of the jungle which drops abruptly away, the history and function of this impressive citadel thought to date from the last days of the Inca Empire remain an enigma. Macchu Picchu (which means "manly peak") was most likely a royal estate and religious retreat. The city has an altitude of 8,000 feet, and is high above the Urubamba River canyon cloud forest.

Machu Picchu is comprised of approximately 200 buildings, most being residences, although there are temples, storage structures and other public buildings. It has polygonal masonry, characteristic of the late Inca period.

The ‘lost city’ divides into two sections: agricultural and urban. The agricultural zone is formed by the so-called farmers’ district and many terraces built into the steep mountainside. The urban section contains the civilian (residential zones, canals) and religious areas (temples, mausoleums, plazas, royal houses). While the workmanship of the civilian structures is uneven, the religious constructions were built with an eye for perfection.

Most of the structures are built of granite blocks cut with bronze or stone tools, and smoothed with sand. The blocks fit together perfectly without mortar, although none of the blocks are the same size and have many faces; some have as many as 30 corners. The joints are so tight that even the thinnest of knife blades can't be forced between the stones. Another unique thing about Macchu Picchu is the integration of the architecture into the landscape. Existing stone formations were used in the construction of structures, sculptures are carved into the rock, water flows through cisterns and stone channels, and temples hang on steep precipices.

The houses had steep thatched roofs and trapezoidal doors; windows were unusual. The houses, in groups of up to ten gathered around a communal courtyard, or aligned on narrow terraces, were connected by narrow alleys. At the center were large open squares; livestock enclosures and terraces for growing maize stretched around the edge of the city.
The Incas planted crops such as potatoes and maize at Macchu Picchu. To get the highest yield possible, they used advanced terracing and irrigation methods to reduce erosion and increase the area available for cultivation.

One of the most important things found at Machu Picchu is the intihuatana, which is a column of stone rising from a block of stone the size of a grand piano. Intihuatana literally means ‘for tying the sun", although it is usually translated as "hitching post of the sun". As the winter solstice approached, when the sun seemed to disappear more each day, a priest would hold a ceremony to tie the sun to the stone to prevent the sun from disappearing altogether.

Maras

40 km away from Cuzco this is a small typical colonial village where there are some 300 “stone doorways” built from andesite brought from two nearby quarries that have been in existence since Inca times.

On the outskirts of the village are some salt mines that are still worked today. These make the terraces look as if they are covered with snow, which, combined with the area’s surroundings provide a beautiful landscape.


Round Trips	Regional Trips	Adventure Trips	Luxury Tours

Discover the Empire of the Incas 5 D / 4 N - from $639 Best of the Andes and exotic jungle 10 D / 9 N - from $1189 Best of the Andes and exotic jungle II 9 D / 8 N - from $1159 Best of the Andes 10 D / 9 N - from $1029 Peru Overview 15 D / 14 N - from $1689	Lima, City of Kings 5 D / 4 N - from $199 The Enigma of the Nazca Lines and the Beauty of the Paracas National Reserve 2 D / 1 N - from $239 Discover the Empire of the Incas 4 D / 3 N - from $479 Life at Lake Titicaca 3 D / 2 N - from $209 The great Colca Canyon and the big condor 4 D / 3 N - from $279 Exotic Southern Jungle 3 D / 2 N - from $329 Upper Amazonas 4 D / 3 N - from $329 The Lord of Sipan & Chan Chan 2 D / 1 N - from $419	Rafting at the Urubamba 5 D / 4 N - from $2589 Follow the Inca path 7 D / 6 N - from $1009 Classic Inca Trail 4 D / 3 N - from $2589 Salcantay Trek to Machu Picchu 5 D / 4 N - from $2589	"Our luxury trips offer the best Peru has to offer. These packages are aimed at the more discerning client who wishes to have the more personal or private touch to their holiday. More info"

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