Machu Picchu Facts For Kids | Old Peak Of South America

Machu Picchu is a fortress and is one of the historical landmarks of South America. In Latin America, this site is one of those places that attract thousands of visitors every year from all over the world. It is also known as Machu Pikchu. The word Machu means ‘old’ and Pikchu means ‘Mountain’. So the word Machu Pikchu means ‘old peak’.

A Quick Guide To Machu Picchu Facts For Kids

Height above sea level: 2,430 meters

Location: Cusco region, Urubamba

Country: Peru

Name of Empire who built it: Inca Empire

Name of Inca Emperor:  Pachacuti (1438–1472)

Basic Machu Picchu Facts For Kids

Introduction

1. It is the site of the Inca Empire that ruled in Peru from 13th century to 16th century.
2. The Incas made this fortress in 1450.
3. The height of Machu Picchu is 2,430 meters from sea level.
4. It is found in the Cusco region of Urubamba River.
5. The Sacred Valley of the Incas is located below this fortress.
6. It is believed that this peak was made for an Inca Emperor named Pachacuti.

Hiram Bingham

1. A US explorer named Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu on July 24, 1911.
2. Bingham found this fortress with the help of local people. A boy named Pablito Alvarez was just 11 years old when he showed the way to Bingham toward Machu Picchu.
3. Bingham described his personal experiences while exploring Machu Picchu fortress in various books which he had written.
4. The name of the most famous book of Bingham is ‘Lost City of the Incas’.

Construction

1. Machu Picchu was built during the times of two emperors of Inca Empire. The names of these emperors are Tupac Inca Yupanqui and Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui.
2. The mountain has been repaired for quite a number of times. Until 1976, almost 30 percent of the mountain was brought back to its original condition.
3. The names of 3 main structures of Machu Picchu are ‘Room of the Three Windows’, ‘Temple of the Sun’ and Inti Watana.
4. All of the three structures are found in the ‘Sacred District’ of this mountain. Sacred District is a special name given by archaeologists.

More Machu Picchu Facts For Kids

1. When the Spanish conquered Peru in 1572, they failed to notice Machu Picchu. The Spanish had destroyed most of the major sites except this citadel.
2. Today it is believed that majority of its residents were killed because of smallpox.
3. Cusco was the capital of Inca Empire and this fortress is situated at just 80 kilometers away.
4. The site of Machu Picchu was announced by Peru as a ‘Historical Sanctuary’ in 1981. The total size of this site is just about 326 square kilometers.
5. In 1983, it was declared the World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Did you really find these facts helpful? Is it what you’re looking for? Please comment and help us improving this article. Thanks for reading it!