At 2,430 meters above sea level in the Andes Mountains of Peru is the historic site of Machu Picchu. Once a royal estate, or perhaps a religious site, for the Incan empire, it was abandoned in the 16th century when the civilization was destroyed by a Spanish invasion. Lost to history for hundreds of years, Machu Picchu was rediscovered in 1911 by American archeologist Hiram Bingham, exciting tourists immediately and for years to come. Today, hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the site annually.
Most remarkable about the site is how seamlessly it blends into the natural world. This lost city is made up of stone terraces, a farming sector, homes, temples, and more – approximately 200 buildings in total. The finely fit stonework and intricate irrigation systems nod to the sophistication of the lost Incan civilization.