Have you ever longed to visit a place you’ve never been? A very specific place, for no particular reason other than being drawn to it? I have that feeling for a few places. Machu Picchu is one of them. In fact, it is one of the top sites on my wanderlust list.

I can’t exactly put my finger on it. Maybe it is because of Machu Picchu’s extraordinary beauty. Perhaps it is the history and culture that surrounds it, or the mere fact that it was a “lost city”.  Maybe it’s my yearning to learn more about the ancient citadel and the Inca civilization that built it.  I don’t know.  I do know that I have to visit this place someday. Hopefully soon.

In 1911, a local guide led Professor Hiram Bingham to a hidden site in the Andes Mountains in Peru. This was the first time (as far as we know) any non-indigenous person had seen this lost city. The Incas built this citadel around the mid-1400s. The occupants abandoned Machu Picchu when the Spanish invaded Peru in the 16^th Century. However, even the Spanish conquistadors were unaware of the site’s existence throughout their entire occupancy of Peru. For many years, Machu Picchu remained unknown to the rest of the world until it was revealed in 1911.

There is no doubt that Machu Picchu is a wonder of the world. It is an amazing architectural and agricultural achievement. I am not sure which is more impressive, the site itself, or the fact that it was built by an ancient civilization that presumably did not have the technology required to build such a structure. The city consisted of farming, residential, and ceremonial areas. There are also structures within the city that seem to hold astronomical and religious significance.

Unfortunately, there is no record that reveals the reason this site was built or the role it played. To this day Machu Picchu remains a mystery. Maybe it is the mystery itself, that draws so many people, myself included, to this wondrous site.

Photo Credits: Alex SP (public domain)