Architecture+Design Community Contest: World Architecture Day | Machu Picchu in Peru

As one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu is an architectural marvel. I just realized that I haven't blogged about it since I joined this platform 4 years ago. So in this contest by the Architecture+Design Community, I'd like to invite you to visit this remarkable site together with me.

Sitting at an elevation of 2430m, the mountaintop Inca citadel ruins are amid the semitropical forest in southern Peru, between the Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountains. Machu Picchu means "Old Peak" in the Quechua language, and the Huayna Picchu mountain standing over it is the "Young Peak".

I visited the site almost 5 years ago by hiking from the gateway town of Aguas Calientes. We started in the early morning and walked up Machu Picchu Mountain after reaching there, then stayed until it's closed at 5 pm. By not following a tour group, we didn't have to rush with the crowds, but were able to wander around every corner of the complex and soak in the unique atmosphere later in peace.

- Fascinating History -

The construction of Machu Picchu is believed to have started in the 15th century when the Inca empire was in power. It's much later than I first expected. When I saw the ancient architecture on media before, I thought it's around the same period as the Terracotta Warriors in the old Chinese city of Xi'an, but the latter was from the 3rd century B.C.. Yeah, my history knowledge about the Incas really sucked (before visiting South America... Thank you Travels! :)).

According to more recent researches, the architecture was served as a retreat for Inca royalty to worship nature and deities, especially the sun god, Inti. Some believe that chosen virgins were dedicated to Inti, since most of the skeletons excavated from the site were women.

In 1911, the ruins were rediscovered from wild vegetation by an American explorer Hiram Bingham, but only accessible to the public in the 1940s when the Inca Trail through the valley was discovered.

How this ancient city was "lost" remains a mystery today. Theories for the reason range from a smallpox epidemic, civil wars to the abandonment at the Spanish invasion, but no solid evidence could prove any of them.

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- Extraordinary Architecture -

The city was divided into different sections: residential, industrial, agricultural, religious... Below is a picture I took from my Lonely Planet guide, hopefully, you can have a clearer idea of its layout by looking at it:

As in other Inca cities, Machu Picchu followed the religious architectural pattern of truncated pyramid construction. Rooms are usually rectangular with irregular-sized stone walls. Some two-storied buildings were originally topped with slanted straw roofs but were not there anymore. Some smaller stones were detached due to earthquakes, and most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed to give us visitors a better idea of how they originally appeared.

Walking around the site, I found it amazing that there's still clear water running through the fountains and aqueducts, and plants like coca were growing on the slopes' terraces. The smart drainage system also diverted heavy rain for irrigation.

Now let me show you some primary structures through my photos.

The Temple of the Sun is the only construction here with a semicircular wall. It may have been used as a sacred precinct paying tribute and giving offerings to the sun god. Some say it's for astronomical purposes:

The rock cave sitting below the Temple of the Sun is the Royal Tomb:

The Temple of the Three Windows allows sunlight to pass through its trapezoidal windows to the Sacred Plaza closeby:

Higher up is the astronomical observatory and Intihuatana. Some suggest that the stone block is a solar clock for planning agricultural activities, while some say it's used in religious ceremonies, or perhaps both.

The rock outcrops in this Temple of the Condor resemble outstreched wings:

If you have seen typical Inca-style architecture, you might also have been impressed by its marvelous stone walls. Granite stones are made to fit together tightly without mortar or cement in between. This technique is called “ldquo ashlar.”

Many religious buildings in Machu Picchu were built in polygonal stones. One temple wall here even has 33 corners. The gray granite used was available at the mountain ridge, and you can see a quarry on site:

Large blocks were chiseled from the bedrock and dragged or pushed to the site by laborers. Judging from tool marks left on the stones, masons probably shaped large pieces by pounding rocks on them instead of cutting them. Then smooth edges and corners were created so that the stones interlocked with each other to form a wall. Impressive, isn't it?

Small rocks could be transported by llamas. These pack animals are grazing freely in the citadel, and they often photobomb tourists' pictures, or just get invited to the selfie:

And I enjoyed this serene Inca Zen moment with the meditating pair:

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- Spectacular Scenery -

We just had a look into Machu Picchu's fascinating history and extraordinary architecture, and last but not least, the natural setting is just as spectacular. Nestled between lofty mountains and lush forests, overlooking the rushing Urubamba River down below, this world wonder has it all.

In fact, I was a bit hesitant at first to visit this famous place for fear of crowds. At last, I was so stunned by the harmony between the architecture and the surrounding nature that I was reluctant to leave. I felt lucky to have experienced the site in the sun, rain, sleet, and the magical mist later on. It's a pity that my still phone shots here can't do it justice. I wish you could be there too to feel the mesmerizing atmosphere.

What about you? Have you visited Machu Picchu before? What architecture there impressed you the most? Please tell me in the comments below. :)

^{All content by @itchyfeetdonica
图文 by Donica}

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