Why is Machu Picchu one of Peru’s best-known archaeological sites?

Machu Picchu is one of Peru’s most renowned archaeological sites primarily because it is one of the few major pre-Columbian ruins discovered nearly intact. Described by UNESCO as an amazing urban creation of the Inca empire at its height, the site was designated a World Heritage site in 1983 and is recognized as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.12

Its prominence is further bolstered by its remarkable state of preservation and sophisticated construction, which includes extensive agricultural terraces, an aqueduct system, and refined stonework in structures like the Temple of the Three Windows and the Intihuatana ceremonial sundial. While it was once erroneously labeled the "lost city of the Incas" following its 1911 "discovery" by Hiram Bingham, scholars now believe it served as a royal retreat for the ruler Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui. Today, it remains the most economically significant tourist attraction in Peru.2