Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering travelling
A Masterpiece of the Inca Empire
Nestled high in the Peruvian Andes, Machu Picchu reaches an elevation of 2,430 meters above sea level, offering a spectacular view over a tropical mountain forest. Regarded as the most extraordinary urban creation of the Inca Empire, its giant walls, terraces, and ramps seemingly grow organically from the rocky escarpments. The settlement of Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century during the time of the Inca Pachacútec, then abandoned during the 16th century upon the arrival of the Spanish and remained hidden until its rediscovery in 1911 by American explorer Hiram Bingham. Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, being recognized for its outstanding cultural and natural values as an exceptional example of the harmonious relationship between human culture and nature.
A City of Mysteries and Marvels
Machu Picchu contained about 200 structures that were used as a religious, ceremonial, astronomical, and agricultural centre. The city is built on a sharp ridge that divides the lower and upper part of the town, separating the farming areas from the residential ones, with a big square in the middle. The city contains the Intihuatana stone, a ritual stone associated with astronomy and considered to be a solar clock or calendar. Yet, the site still holds many secrets to what exactly this place was used for in the Inca's advanced expertise in astronomy and the domestication of plants. The architecture of Machu Picchu bears witness to the genius in which the Incas established this city it sits well nestled into the natural setting, the city thus integrates human made structures into its natural surroundings.
Rich Biodiversity and Natural Beauty
From the High Andes down to the basin of the Amazon, its location contributes to the rich biodiversity and range of microclimates that are to be found in the sanctuary. Machu Picchu covers over 32,000 hectares and represents several habitat types, including high altitude grasslands, montane cloud forests, and tropical lowland forests. Its range of habitats supports a very various range of flora and fauna, including endemic species such as the Andean condor and the spectacled bear. It is considered to be one of the richest areas in orchids in the world. More than 370 species have been reported on this site, and its wildlife includes Andean foxes, white tailed deer, and more than 420 species of birds, including the Andean cock of the rock, the national bird of Peru. For such a reason, Machu Picchu represents an area of outstanding ecological relevance as well as a key spot for biodiversity conservation.
Preservation and Modern Challenges
Today, Machu Picchu is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, having received almost a million and a half visitors in a single year. While this means very high revenues from tourism for the site, several problems are attached to it, ecological degradation, waste management issues, and increased visitor numbers. The government has also created ways, in conjunction with the local people, of controlling tourism so that it balances with preservation, setting daily limits of visitors, for instance, and participating in promoting sustainability. Current efforts aim at minimising negative impacts, a shuttle bus system, for example, has been put in place to take some of the heavy foot traffic off the site, but Machu Picchu's historic, cultural and natural heritage must be preserved for future generations. Further plans to include the surrounding cultural sites, such as Pisac and Ollantaytambo, should consolidate integrity and raise the value of this site as a whole.
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