The lost city of the Incas, the mysterious and emblematic Machu Picchu (Peru) attracts millions of visitors every year. Some are history buffs, some are adventure seekers, many are looking for inspiration. Because of this we have chosen a few interesting facts that will grab your attention for sure.

1. The city was never discovered by the Spanish conquistadors. A testament to this fact is that there are no references to Machu Picchu in accounts from the time.

2. The mysterious ritual stone Intihuatana, may be a sophisticated sundial…  But it was almost destroyed when a crane fell on it while filming a beer commercial!

3. The city was not only inhabited by the Incas, remains belonging to inhabitants of villages on the shores of Lake Titicaca more than 300 kilometers away were also found in the city!

4. Why did the Incas abandon Machu Picchu in the 16^th century? There are a few different theories… It could have been because they interpreted divine signs telling them to do so, or because of a dispute between King Viracocha and his son Pachacuti, or the fight between the Incas and the Antis (inhabitants of the Amazon Region)… but recently the theory that says Machu Picchu was abandoned by the noble Incas who, after the Manco Inca rebellion (1536), decided to establish themselves in Ollantaytambo is becoming more popular.

5. How did the Incas manage to move those huge stones and work them with such exactitude? There’s no shortage of people who talk about extraterrestrials, but we should keep in mind that the three main buildings in the complex were constructed very close to the quarry and stones like hiwaya that is harder than granite have been found, which could have been used to shape the gigantic blocks of stone.

6. In Machu Picchu, you can get your passport stamped with an image of the city… an interesting memento from your trip!

We hope you liked these interesting facts about the mysterious city. But we hope even more, that you love this magical place as much as we do!

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]]> http://blog.amerispan.com/2012/03/learn-spanish-in-cusco-visit-machu-picchu-video.html/feed 0 http://blog.amerispan.com/2011/12/amerispans-bucket-list-machu-picchu-peru.html http://blog.amerispan.com/2011/12/amerispans-bucket-list-machu-picchu-peru.html#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:44:12 +0000 AmeriSpan Staff http://blog.amerispan.com/2011/12/amerispans-bucket-list-machu-picchu-peru.html AmeriSpan has been compiling a list of its "bucket list" destinations that are close by to must-see world sights – last week, we highlighted Petra in Jordan. No such list would be complete without one of the world's greatest archaeological meccas, Macchu Picchu, close to our Peru Spanish schools.

Accessible via Incan trail, Macchu Piccu is the site of an ancient Incan metropolis. Its discovery led to the modern understanding of this indigeonous culture, still highly valued and celebrated in South America.

Our bucket list was inspired by 'Organizing an Event's" article entitled "10 Events to Attend Before You Die."

Learn Spanish in Cusco

Past participant Neha B., recommends AmeriSpan's Cusco school, saying "The program is very well established and the staff is open to feedback," while other former Cusco Spanish student Christianne T. gushed, "The best part of the trip was the amount of friends that I made.
Anyone that hasn't experienced a language immersion program should! I
was totally satisfied with the program. I see no way to improve it!" 

Now is a perfect time to discover Peru and all of its treasueres; there's nothing stopping you!

Visit our Study Spanish in Peru profile here: Cusco Language School

Find airfare to Peru here: AmeriSpan Airfare Finder