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Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

NHK World Heritage 100 Series

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Narration Text

Veiled Aeropolis/The Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

The ruins of Machu Picchu, an Inca city built in the mid-15th century, are in the Peruvian Andes of South America. Machu Picchu is located on a mountain ridge some 2,400 metres above sea level. It’s known as an “Aeropolis”. The main part of the site covers an area of around 9 hectares. It is believed that the city had a population of more than 500 people. The stone walls were built using highly sophisticated techniques. There are also the remains of a developed water system.

An American historian found this site in 1911. He took all the excavated articles with him and left the site un-researched.

The items are being studied at Yale University. After closely examining the remains of 174 human skeletons, they found that there was no trace of killing or wounding. Bone damage was minor and there were no traces of forced or hard labour. No weapons were found. It appears that these people were surrounded by great nature and lived a war-free, healthy and peaceful existence.

It is said that the city was built by Inca Yupanqui who was the 9th Inca Emperor also known as Pachacu-tec. Why did he choose this place, and for what purpose? A key to the mystery can be found at the stone-pillar at the site’s highest point. This stone was called INTIWANA, “a stone connected to the sun”. It was used to observe the sun’s movements. This is the “Temple of the Sun”. It is on a mountain ridge with no obstacle to the east or to the west. The east wall has two windows. The sun shines straight through the left one in the morning on the winter solstice, and through the right one on the summer solstice. Machu Picchu was a place devoted to the understanding and worship of the greatest God of all – the Sun God. Mountains were also considered sacred so it made perfect sense to build a ceremonial site overlooking the mountain peaks. There are more than 200 layers of terraced fields on the southern slopes. Maize grown in these fields was also used to make liquor which was dedicated to their God. Machu Picchu, a mysterious city in the mountains, was a sacred sanctuary of the Inca Empire.