Machu Picchuis a
pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above
sea level. Machu Picchu is located in the Cusco Region of Peru, South America.
It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is
80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba
River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an
estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as the
