---
lang: en
type: TouristAttraction
record_kind: entity-profile
title: Machu Picchu
description: The spectacular 15th-century Incan citadel situated on a mountain ridge 2,430 meters above the Sacred Valley.
llms_summary: "Machu Picchu. (Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru). TouristAttraction. Annual Visitors 1.5 million. Buffer Zone 40k ha. Category Type Mixed (Cultural & Natural). Conservation Status Active Monitoring. Epoch Origin Post-Classic Mesoamerica (15th C.). Latitude -13.16 °. Longitude -72.55 °. Primary Material Granite Ashlar Masonry. Property Area 33k ha. UNESCO ID 274. Year Inscribed 1983. Best for travel researchers, historic preservationists, and cultural heritage educators.  The spectacular 15th-century Incan citadel situated on a mountain ridge 2,430 meters above the Sacred Valley.  canonical profile on Chrisyst Datasets"
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slug: sanctuary-of-machu-picchu
record_kind: entity-profile
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indexed_at: "2026-07-16T13:15:13.715Z"
license: citation-free
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  -
    role: subject
    slug: sanctuary-of-machu-picchu
    name: Machu Picchu
    type: TouristAttraction
    profile_url: "https://datasets.chrisyst.com/sanctuary-of-machu-picchu/index.md"
    same_as:
      - "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205196"
---
# Machu Picchu

The spectacular 15th-century Incan citadel situated on a mountain ridge 2,430 meters above the Sacred Valley.

## Record

- **Title**: [Machu Picchu](https://datasets.chrisyst.com/sanctuary-of-machu-picchu/index.md)
- **Geo target**: Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru
- **Website**: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/274
- **Address**: Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, Cusco, 08625, Peru
- **Coordinates**: -13.1631, -72.545

### Summary

The spectacular 15th-century Incan citadel situated on a mountain ridge 2,430 meters above the Sacred Valley.

### Description

## Archeological & Ecological Wonder

Standing 2,430 meters above sea-level, in the midst of an extraordinarily beautiful tropical mountain forest, Machu Picchu was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height. Its giant walls, terraces, and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments, showcasing the Incas' unparalleled mastery of dry-stone masonry, where stones are cut precisely to fit together without mortar.

The citadel is broadly divided into an urban sector and an agricultural sector, separated by a wall. Key structures include the Intihuatana (Hitching Post of the Sun), a precisely carved stone thought to be an astronomical clock or calendar; the Temple of the Sun, a curved structure built around a natural rock; and the Room of the Three Windows, which offers panoramic views. These structures, along with over 150 buildings, baths, houses, temples, and sanctuaries, are interconnected by a complex network of stone pathways and over 3,000 steps, reflecting sophisticated urban planning and engineering.

### Attributes

- **Annual Visitors**: 1.5 million _(quality 80)_
- **Buffer Zone**: 40k ha _(quality 85)_
- **Category Type**: Mixed (Cultural & Natural)
- **Conservation Status**: Active Monitoring
- **Epoch Origin**: Post-Classic Mesoamerica (15th C.)
- **Latitude**: -13.16 ° _(quality 50)_
- **Longitude**: -72.55 ° _(quality 50)_
- **Primary Material**: Granite Ashlar Masonry
- **Property Area**: 33k ha _(quality 90)_
- **UNESCO ID**: 274
- **Year Inscribed**: 1983 _(quality 95)_