Machu Pichu's stunning views attract thousands of tourists
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It was “found” by Yale professor Hiram Bingham, a historian, explorer and later a member of the Senate. Bingham was desperate to find Vilcabamba, the “lost city of the Incas”, from where the empire fought a rearguard rebellion against the Spanish until 1572. And on being led to Machu Picchu by locals Bingham was convinced he had achieved his goal.
In fact, Vilcabamba is now believed to have been the buried ruins of Espiritu Pampa, a site that was also discovered in the Cusco area by Bingham.
What Machu Picchu was is contentious. Its style indicates a palace complex, but Bingham believed it was a religious shrine and training centre for religious leaders. Modern research suggests that it was a summer retreat for the ruling elites.
Without question it is a window into a lost world. The site was so well preserved that a series of agricultural terraces remained in use by local Indians.
Thousands of carved steps join plaza to plaza and it is possible to distinguish living quarters from public buildings. A functional sundial was discovered near its temple. Experts believe the site was likely built in the mid-15th century and abandoned in the mid-16th century. It is not known why.
Although Bingham’s discovery opened Machu Picchu to the world it is still remote. Visitors must brave a narrow gauge railway and a snaking road high in the Andes, or endure a six-day hike along the Inca trail.
However arduous the journey, few who have made it regret their trip. It is now a Unesco world heritage site and has been named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Question: Which British author – born on this day in 1895 – wrote I, Claudius?
Last week I asked: Who was named world’s richest man with a £10.9billion fortune by Forbes Magazine in 2005? BILL GATES
Also on this day…
1567: Mary, Queen of Scots, is forced to abdicate.
1783: Venezuelan military leader Simon Bolivar is born in Caracas.
1847: Mormon pioneer Brigham Young leads the faithful to Salt Lake Valley, Utah.
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