Was Machu Picchu an Inca citadel? Why do many refer to Machu Picchu as an Inca citadel? From travel platforms, travel agencies, blogs, articles, videos, books, audios to all kinds of content where Machu Picchu is referred to as an Inca citadel. But, how correct is it to call Machu Picchu an Inca citadel? Join Auri Peru to unravel a little more about this qualifier that is far from correctly describing Machu Picchu or its functionality.
The inca citadel of Machu Picchu?
Briefly summarizing this ancient Inca city is one of the most precious treasures of Peru and the world. It was built in the mid-fifteenth century by the Inca Pachacutec, the ninth Inca of the Inca empire called Tawantinsuyo; many attribute it to have been a residence of this same Inca sovereign.
Its current name means old mountain and was not the name it had in Inca times, many researchers and historians believe that its original name was Patallacta. What is certain is that the current name alludes to the place where it is located, about 2430 meters / 7972 feets above sea level, in a rocky premonitory between Machu Picchu Mountain and Huayna Picchu.
Machu Picchu is one of the top tourist attractions in Peru, it is considered one of the seven new wonders of the modern world. It is also known as “the lost city of the Incas” and is often commonly called “Inca citadel”. But, is Machu Picchu an Inca citadel? The answer is a resounding NO. Let’s see why below.
What is a citadel?
First we have to define what a citadel is. The simplest definition would be that a citadel is a fortified place. The notion of citadel comes from the Italian word cittadella, within this concept we can notice the influence of the word city.
Returning to the idea of citadel, we repeat that the notion alludes to a fortified enclosure inside a city or a stronghold The citadels are located inside a city or a stronghold. Citadels were very common in antiquity, generally having a moat and bastions or bulwarks. The construction of the citadel was intended to provide shelter for its inhabitants and to facilitate the defense of the area. Depending on the region, the citadels had different qualities and even acquired specific names.
Why Machu Picchu is called Inca citadel?
Hiram Bingham was the one who believed that Machu Picchu was an Inca citadel. At first, this same character believed that he had stumbled upon the lost city of the Incas, Vilcabamba the old one. A place from where the Incas had taken refuge and started an open war against Spaniards after the capture of the city of Cusco in 1533.
Because of the character that history gave it and because of what was believed at that time, Hiram Bingham coined the term “citadel” and “lost city of the Incas”. Machu Picchu did not have a purely military and defense character, although it is in a high area, halfway up the mountains, Machu Picchu fulfilled much more than just military functions unlike the functions of a citadel. Although not entirely incorrect, citadel is not the term to describe Machu Picchu.
So, what is Machu Picchu?
Machu Picchu, Machu Pijchu or Machupicchu is a colossal work of Inca architecture and engineering called “llaqta”. A word in Quechua language that designates the Inca cities with multifunctional purposes.
The historical and archaeological evidence defines the llaqta of Machupicchu as a political, administrative and religious center that responded to the need of the Inca State to have a strategically located place that served as an integrating nexus of the Andes and the Amazon, and even in direct relation to the sacred geography of the area. This idea reinforces the idea of the Machupicchu llaqta as a complex and multifunctional state settlement and simply as a citadel.
Currently, Machu Picchu is one of the best places in the world to be discovered in the eyes of each of its visitors. Machu Picchu offers an experience difficult to describe when walking through its almost 200 enclosures distributed in three zones and climbing to the dizzying heights of Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain or Huchuy Picchu. Machu Picchu is considered the best destination in Peru and even in South America.
Where is Machu Picchu?
Machu Picchu is located in the Peruvian region of Cusco, province of Urubamba and district of Machu Picchu. This great Inca construction is located half way up to the mountains of Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain at 2340 metres about sea level within the geological phenomenon called Vilcabamba Batolith in the Andean mountain range of the same name in the jungle area.
It is also located within a natural conservation area of intangible character protected by the Peruvian state and called: Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu.
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