The „Lost City of the Incas“ in the Peruvian Andes was discovered by Spaniards as early as the 16^th century. However, it did not attract international attention for the next few centuries and was not explored by scientists until 1911, when it was discovered by the American Hiram Bingham. Prior to that, the Peruvian farmer Agustín Lizárraga had visited Machu Picchu in 1902. Since the Inca civilization had no written language, much of its history is still unknown. 

The impressive structures and surrounding terraces are located at an altitude of 2,430 meters (7,972 ft) on a ridge between the mountains of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, about 80 kilometers (50 mi) northwest of the former Inca capital of Cusco. Particularly interesting, for example, is the still intact canal system for the water supply. The city was probably built around 1450 under the Inca ruler Pachacútec Yupanqui, but abandoned about a hundred years later due to the Spanish conquest. In 1983, the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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