Machu Pichu Essay

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Machu Picchu is one of many royal estates built by the Inca Emperors. It is located in Cuzco, Peru. Machu Picchu is 7,970 feet above sea level. The mountain is smack dead in the middle of a tropical forest. Burger (n.d.), “The term Machu that precedes Picchu means old and was used by locals to differentiate it from the small hill behind it called Huayna Picchu, which means young” (p. 5) Machu Picchu was home for royal blood, servants, farmers, and care givers when not many people were around in the winter. The Inca’s believed that they are deities. Their believe was that Wiracocha the creator and Inti the sun God told them to conquer the people from every corner of the world. On Machu Picchu there is a sacred place on the mountain where they pray to the Sun god. They call this place “Intihuatana stone.” The people believed the stones pointed directly at the sun this during the winter season, and this is why there is no shadow that is cast on any stone in this sacred place. They would place this stone in the entrance of every new city they build. This stone is vertical and stands upon an irregular pyramid. Gnomons are what the Inca called this sacred stone. Huayna Picchu has a building on its mountain to watch out for enemies. Huayna Picchu is 1,180 feet higher than Machu Picchu. The Inca settled on Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu because they believed they were descendants from the sun and they are linked to the cosmos. The Inca’s believed they were better than everyone. Reference Burger, R. L. , Salazar-Burger, L. (n.d.). Machu Picchu Rediscovered: The Royal Estate In The Cloud Forest. Retrieved from

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