HISTORY OF MACHUPICCHU

Machu Picchu (Quechua of southern machu pikchu, "Old Mountain") is the contemporary name given to a llaqta (former Inca Andean village) mainly built of stone in the mid-fifteenth century in the rocky promontory that connects the mountains and Machu Picchu Huayna Picchu in the eastern slopes of the central Andes in southern Peru. His original name was Picchu or Picho.
According to documents from the mid-sixteenth century, Machu Picchu was one of the residences Pachacútec rest (first Inca emperor, 1438-1470). However, some of its finest buildings and ceremonial evident from the main access road to the llaqta prove that it was used as a religious shrine. Both uses of the palace and shrine, were not incompatible. Some experts seem to have ruled out, however, a military course, so popular adjectives of "strength" or "city" could have been overcome.

Machu Picchu is considered both a masterpiece of architecture and engineering. Its unique architectural features and landscaping, and the veil of mystery that has woven around him much of the literature published on the site, have made him one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet.

Machu Picchu is in the List of World Heritage by UNESCO since 1983 as part of a whole cultural and eco-known Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu.

On July 7, 2007 Machu Picchu was declared as one of the new wonders of the world in a ceremony held in Lisbon, Portugal, following the participation of one hundred million voters worldwide.

HISTORY

The gorge Picchu, located midway between the Andes and the Amazon forest, a region was colonized by mountain people, not jungle, from the regions of Vilcabamba and the Sacred Valley in Cusco, in search of an expansion of its borders farming. Archaeological evidence indicates that agriculture is practiced in the region since at least 760 a. C. A population explosion is from the Middle Horizon period, from the year 900 AD, by groups not historically documented, but possibly were linked to ethnicity Tampu Urubamba. It is believed that these people could have been part of the federation Ayarmaca, rivals of the first Inca Cusco.

During this period, significantly expanding the agricultural area "built" (platforms). However, the specific site of the city before us (the rocky ridge that connects the mountain Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu) no traces of having been built before the fifteenth century. Pachacútec as the chronicle of Martin de Murua (1615). By 1440, during his campaign to Vilcabamba, the gorge was conquered by Pachacutec Picchu, the first Inca emperor (1438-1470). The site of Machu Picchu had to impress the monarch for their unique characteristics within the sacred geography Cuzco. and therefore there would be commanded to build towards 1450, an urban complex of buildings with luxury civil and religious.

It is believed that Machu Picchu had a mobile population like most of the Incas llactas, which ranged between 300 and 1,000 people belonging to an elite (possibly members of the Pachacutec PANACA) and acllas. It has been shown that the force consisted of agricultural settlers mitimaes or mitmas (mitmaqkuna) from different corners of the empire. Machu Picchu was not from any point of view an isolated complex, so the myth of the "lost city" and "secret refuge of the Inca emperors no handhold. The valleys that end with the stream formed a densely populated region that dramatically increased agricultural productivity from the Inca occupation in 1440. The Incas built there many administrative centers, the most important of which were Quente Patallacta and Mark, and abundant agricultural complexes formed by cultivation terraces. Machu Picchu complex depended on for food, because the fields in the agricultural sector of the city have proved insufficient to supply the population. Intraregional communication was possible thanks to the networks of roads incas: 8 ways to reach Machu Picchu. The small city of Picchu came to differentiate from neighboring populations by the unique quality of its main buildings.

The death of Pachacútec, according to the custom real Incas, this and the rest of their personal property would have passed to the administration of panaceas, which was directing the revenue produced by the cult of the late king's mummy. It is assumed that this situation would be maintained during the administrations of Tupac Yupanqui (1470-1493) and Huayna Capac (1493-1529). Machu Picchu in part due to lose their importance by having to compete with the prestige of the emperors personal property successors. In fact, the opening of a more comprehensive insurance and between Ollantaytambo and Vilcabamba (the Valley Amaybamba) made the path to the gorge Picchu was less used. Carved rock under the temple of the sun which gives entry to the Royal Mausoleum named. Lumbreras as some authors suggest that may have been intended for the mummy of Pachacútec. Inca civil war (1531-32) and the emergence Spanish in Cusco in 1534 had affected the lives of Machu Picchu. The mass of the rural region was mainly composed mitmas, settlers from different nations conquered by the Incas carried the force to that place. They took advantage of the collapse of the economic system cusqueño to return to their lands origen.La of Inca resistance against the Spaniards led by Manco Inca in 1536 called for the nobles of the nearby regions to join his court in exile of Vilcabamba, and it is very likely The main noble Picchu then have left the city. Documents from the period indicate that the region was full of "empty" at that time. Picchu have lived and followed the record of their existence as evidence to be considered a tributary of the population of Spanish encomienda Ollantaytambo.

That does not necessarily mean that Spaniards visiting Machu Picchu often, in fact, we know that the tribute Picchu was handed to Spanish once a year in the town of Ollantaytambo, and not "collected" locally. However, it is clear that the Spaniards knew the place, although there is no indication that they appreciate its importance pass. Colonial documents even mention the name of who was curaca (maybe the last) of Machu Picchu in 1568: Juan Macor. It's called "John" said that he had been at least nominally, baptized, and therefore subject to the Spanish influence. Another document shows that the Inca Titu Cusi Yupanqui, which then reigned in Vilcabamba, called Augustinian friars come to evangelize "Pioche" towards 1570. There is no known place in the area seemed to be heard "Pioche" not "Piccho or Picchu," which suggests that a Lumbreras famous "harvested from idolatries" could have reached the site and having do with the destruction and burning of the tower of the Temple of the Sun The Spanish soldier Baltasar de Ocampo wrote in the late sixteenth century on a village in the top of a mountain "of buildings" suntuosísimos "which housed a large Acllahuasi (House of choice) in recent years of the Inca resistance. The description that makes us back to their environments Picchu. The most interesting is that Ocampo said that he called "Pitcos. The only place name is like "Vitcos" an Inca site in Vilcabamba completely different to that described by Ocampo.

The other candidate is, of course, Picchu. It is not known until today whether it is the same place or not. Ocampo said that in this place would have brought Tupac Amaru, the successor of Titu Cusi and last Inca of Vilcabamba.

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