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Machu Picchu is the mysterious city of the Incas, built in the middle of the XV century, and the tourist center of Peru. It is located about 100 km from the capital of the Inca Empire. The city of Cusco is so secluded and tucked away in the Andes that it had not been able to reach the Spanish colonizers. It should be noted that the locals have always known about Machu Picchu, but were slow to share information with outsiders. History of the discovery of this city is very interesting: the fact is that Hiram Bingham was looking for a different city - the legendary Vilcabamba - where according to legend the Incas were removed many of their treasures. Bingham was wandering through the mountains , hoping to find some trace of the city and on the way met a boy carrying a ceramic pitcher. Bingham , a scientist immediately realized that the pitcher is not simple, and asked the boy where he took it. Adult locals avoid sharing their secrets with strangers , but the boy pointed the way to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is an engineering and architectural masterpiece Machu Picchu surprisingly fits into the landscape , so it is often referred to as the "city in the sky " or " city in the clouds ." Triangular roofs of its buildings seem part of the landscape . It is an engineering and architectural masterpiece. To build a city builders had to have extensive knowledge of the topography , geology , astronomy and ecology: used in the construction of the natural slopes , and the technique of construction of buildings provide stability even in the case of the rock slope or in the event of an earthquake. Today, the construction of Machu Picchu seems incredible - the stones were transported from remote kamenolomen and moreover they were polished so perfectly that even now you can't stick a knife between them. Since 1983, Machu Picchu is in the list of Monuments Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO , and since 2007 in the list of the new Wonders of the World . According to the documents of the XVI century it was the residence of the Supreme Inca Pachacuti (1438-1470) , which after his death became a place where children were sent to training in noble families of Cusco. Men studied astronomy , and women - the textile business. According to another version , the city had a military and defensive purpose: First, it provides control over subordinates Incas surrounding tribes, and, secondly, under the control of Machu Picchu there was access to the fertile tropical and subtropical regions where fruits and various medicinal plants were grown.
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