Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu Archaeological Site
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain ridge at 2,430 meters. Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is the most familiar icon of the Inca Empire. It is located in the Machupicchu District within the Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which is 80 kilometers northwest of the city of Cusco.
The Inca civilization had no written language and following the first encounter by the Spanish soldier Baltasar Ocampo, no Europeans are recorded to have visited the site from the late 16th century until the 19th century. As far as historical knowledge extends, there are no existing written records detailing the site during its period of active use. The leading theory is that Machu Picchu was a private city for Incan royalty. The names of the buildings, their supposed uses, and their inhabitants, are the product of modern archaeologists based on physical evidence, including tombs at the site.
Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its three primary structures are the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows, and the Intihuatana.
From 1929 to 1971, Machu Picchu underwent extensive restoration and conservation work, including structural stabilization and artifact excavation, driven by government initiatives and research expeditions. Most recent archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). The Inca built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later, at the time of the Spanish conquest. According to the new AMS radiocarbon dating, it was occupied from c.
1420–1532. Historical research published in 2022 claims that the site was probably called Huayna Picchu by the Inca people themselves, as it exists on the smaller peak of the same name.
Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1982 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.

Machu Picchu arheoloska lokacija
Machu Picchu je citadela Inka iz 15. veka koja se nalazi u istočnoj Kordiljeri južnog Perua na planinskom grebenu na 2.430 metara. Često se naziva "Izgubljeni grad Inka". To je najpoznatija ikona carstva Inka. Nalazi se u okrugu Machupicchu u provinciji Urubamba iznad Svete doline, koja je 80 kilometara severozapadno od grada Cusco.
Civilizacija Inka nije imala pisani jezik i nakon prvog susreta španskog vojnika Baltasara Ocampa, nije zabeleženo da su Evropljani posetili lokaciju od kraja 16. veka do 19. veka. Ne postoje postojeći pisani zapisi koji detaljno opisuju lokaciju tokom perioda aktivne upotrebe. Vodeća teorija je da je Maču Pikču bio privatni grad za kraljevsku porodicu Inka. Imena zgrada, njihova navodna upotreba i njihovi stanovnici proizvod su modernih arheologa na osnovu fizičkih dokaza, uključujući grobnice na tom mestu.
Machu Picchu je izgrađen u klasičnom stilu Inka, sa poliranim kamenim zidovima podignuim “u suvo”. Njegove tri osnovne strukture su Hram Sunca, Hram tri prozora i Intihuatana.
Od 1929. do 1971. godine, Machu Picchu je prošao opsežne restauratorske i konzervatorske radove, uključujući strukturnu stabilizaciju i iskopavanje artefakata, vođen vladinim inicijativama i istraživačkim ekspedicijama. Smatra se da je Machu Picchu izgrađen kao imanje za cara Inka Pachacutija (1438–1472). Inke su izgradile imanje oko 1450. godine, ali su ga napustile vek kasnije, u vreme španskog osvajanja. Prema novom AMS radiokarbonskom datiranju, bio je zauzet od oko 1420–1532. Istorijska istraživanja objavljena 2022. godine tvrde da su lokalitet verovatno nazvali Huaina Picchu sami ljudi Inka, jer postoji na istom istom manjem vrhu.
Machu Picchu je proglašen peruanskim istorijskim svetištem 1982. godine i UNESCO-vom svetskom baštinom 1983. godine. U 2007. godini, Machu Picchu je proglašen za jedno od novih sedam svjetskih čuda u svjetskoj internetskoj anketi.
The House of the Guardian
The guardian’s house is a simple enclosure, made of small stone and adobe. It is the only construction of the citadel whose roofing made of beams and ichu (wild grass from the Andes) remains to this day. Inside there are three squared windows that offer a complete view of Machu Picchu, its access and exit points. It is because of this location that the Guardian’s House is believed to have served as a lookout post.
A few steps behind the Guardian’s House there is a carved stone monolith in the shape of a square with a small access of stairs formed in the same rock. Its function has two hypotheses: it was a space where mummies of important personalities were embalmed or it was a center of worship to the sun whose rays settle there during the winter solstices.

Kuca cuvara
Kuća čuvara je jednostavan ograđeni prostor, napravljen od sitnog kamena i ćerpiča. To je jedina konstrukcija citadele čiji je krov napravljen od greda i ichu (divlje trave iz Anda) ostao do danas. Unutra se nalaze tri kvadratna prozora koji nude kompletan pogled na Machu Picchu, njegove pristupne i izlazne tačke. To je zbog ove lokacije da se veruje da je Guardian House služio kao vidikovac.
Nekoliko koraka iza Kuće čuvara nalazi se isklesan kameni monolit u obliku kvadrata sa malim pristupom stepenicama formiranim u istoj steni. Njegova funkcija ima dve hipoteze: to je bio prostor gde su mumije važnih ličnosti balzamovane ili je bio centar obožavanja sunca čiji zraci tamo padaju tokom zimskih solsticija.
Temple of the Three Windows
The Temple of the Three Windows is a renowned structure within the Machu Picchu citadel. It is located on the Sacred Plaza in the main Urban Section of Machu Picchu and is believed to have been an important site for Incan religious ceremonies and astronomical observations. The temple features three large windows, each representing a different part of the world: the underground, the heaven, and the present time. The windows are trapezoidal in shape and are built with huge carved stones.

Hram tri prozora
Hram tri prozora je poznata građevina u okviru citadele Machu Picchu. Nalazi se na Svetom trgu u glavnom urbanom delu Machu Picchua i veruje se da je bio važno mesto za verske ceremonije Inka i astronomska posmatranja. Hram ima tri velika prozora, od kojih svaki predstavlja drugačiji deo sveta: podzemlje, nebo i sadašnje vreme. Prozori su trapezoidnog oblika i izgrađeni su od ogromnih isklesanih kamenja.
Intihuatana
Intihuatana is a ritual stone associated with the astronomic clock or calendar of the Inca. The most notable Intihuantana is an archaeological site located at Machu Picchu in the Sacred Valley near Machu Picchu. The name of the is derived from Quechua: inti means "sun", and wata- is the verb root "to tie, hitch (up)". Hence inti watan is literally an instrument or place to "tie up the sun", often expressed in English as "The Hitching Post of the Sun".

Intihuatana
Intihuatana je ritualni kamen povezan sa astronomskim satom ili kalendarom Inka. Najznačajnija Intihuantana je arheološko nalazište koje se nalazi u Machu Picchu u Svetoj dolini u blizini Machu Picchu. Ime je izvedeno iz kečua: inti znači "sunce", a wata- je glagolski koren "vezati, stopirati (gore)". Otuda je inti vatan bukvalno instrument ili mesto za "vezivanje sunca", često izraženo na engleskom jeziku kao "The Hitching Post of the Sun".
The Temple of the Sun
- The temple of the sun is an enclosure built on a natural cave. Due to its high location and fine styling, it is considered a religious building to worship the sun.
- It is the only construction of the Inca city that has a circular shape. It also has windows, niches and an entrance door. According to some chroniclers, the mummy of the famous Inca emperor Pachacutec was buried there , who ordered Machu Picchu to be built.
- The temple is built with granite blocks that belong to the imperial Inca style. Before the Spanish invasion, it was decorated with gold and silver ornaments. These were ransacked in later years (there are still fissures that are proof of the ornaments that existed inside).
- As the name implies, the Temple of the sun had the function of paying homage and giving offerings to the sun. In addition, at the bottom, there was a cave that would have had the function of a grave or mausoleum.
- This temple served as an astronomical observatory where it was possible to determine exactly the arrival of the solstices and the seasonal changes (this due to the strategic position of the windows).
- In the center of the temple is an altar carved in rock where religious ceremonies were probably performed in honor of the sun. During the sunrise in the summer solstices, the two windows cast shadows on the central rock of the temple.
- The connection of the Temple of the Sun with the Royal Tomb suggests that the Inca Pachacutec was buried inside. This tomb must have been decorated with gold and silver ornaments, which were looted with the Spanish invasion.
- Within the royal Tomb you can find walls of fine stonework, life-size trapezoidal niches and an altar carved in the form of a three-step staircase, representing the famous ‘Chakana’ (Inca trilogy that means the Inca worldview of Hanan Pacha (the world of the gods), the Kay Pacha (the world of the living) and the Ukhu Pacha (the world of the dead).

Hram sunca
- Hram sunca je ograđeni prostor izgrađen na prirodnoj pećini. Zbog svoje visoke lokacije i finog stila, smatra se verskim objektom za obožavanje sunca.
- To je jedina konstrukcija grada Inka koja ima kružni oblik. Takođe ima prozore, niše i ulazna vrata. Prema nekim hroničarima, tamo je sahranjena mumija čuvenog cara Inka Pachacuteca , koji je naredio da se izgradi Machu Picchu.
- Hram je izgrađen od granitnih blokova koji pripadaju carskom stilu Inka. Pre španske invazije, bio je ukrašen zlatnim i srebrnim ukrasima. Oni su opljačkani u kasnijim godinama (još uvek postoje pukotine koje su dokaz ukrasa koji su postojali unutra).
- Kao što ime implicira, Hram sunca je imao funkciju odavanja počasti i davanja ponuda suncu. Pored toga, na dnu se nalazila pećina koja bi imala funkciju groba ili mauzoleja.
- Ovaj hram je služio kao astronomska opservatorija gde je bilo moguće tačno odrediti dolazak solsticija i sezonskih promena (to zbog strateškog položaja prozora).
- U središtu hrama je oltar isklesan u steni gde su verovatno izvršene verske ceremonije u čast sunca. Tokom izlaska sunca u letnjim solsticijima, dva prozora bacaju senke na centralnu stenu hrama.
- Veza Hrama Sunca sa Kraljevskom grobnicom sugeriše da je Inka Pachacutec sahranjen unutra. Ova grobnica mora da je bila ukrašena zlatnim i srebrnim ukrasima, koji su opljačkani španskom invazijom.
- Unutar kraljevske grobnice možete pronaći zidove od finog kamena, trapezoidne niše u prirodnoj veličini i oltar isklesan u obliku stepeništa u tri koraka, koji predstavljaju čuvenu 'Chakana' (trilogija Inka što znači pogled na svet Inka Hanan Pacha (svet bogova), Kay Pacha (svet živih) i Ukhu Pacha (svet mrtvih).
Sacred Plaza
The Sacred Plaza has been designated as the political center of the urban sector. It is consisting of the main temple, the sacred Temple of the Three Windows and the Intihuatana (religious symbol represented by a carved Aerolite in solid rock), although also sits to the House of the priest and the sacred Temple of the Moon. It is all surrounded by terraces. They were designed to accommodate the large number of attendees present in all the different celebrations and festivities of the city.

Sveti trg
Sveti trg je određen kao politički centar urbanog sektora. Sastoji se od glavnog hrama, svetog hrama tri prozora i Intihuatane (religiozni simbol predstavljen isklesanim aerolitom u čvrstoj steni), kuce sveštenika i svetog Hrama Meseca. Sve je okruženo terasama koje su dizajnirane da prime veliki broj prisutnih u vreme svecanosti u gradu.