Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti(1438-1472).Often mistakenly referred as the "lost city of Incas",it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization.The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the timeof the Spanish conquest .Although known locally,it was nit known to the Spanish during the colonial period and remained unknown to the outside world until American historian Hiram BIngham brought it to the international attention in 1911.
Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style,with the polished dry-stone walls.Its three primary structures are the intihuatana,the temple of the sun,and the Room of the three windows.Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed in order to give tourists a better idea of how they originally appeared.By 1976,30% of Machu PIchhu has been restored and restoration continues.
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