The construction of Machu Picchu

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So, how did the Incas build it?

Machu Picchu has been erected on top of a 2.350 meters (7.710 feet) high mountain in the Urubamba jungle, at the time of Inca ruler Pachacuti. Scientists say that the city was created sometime in the 13th-14th centuries and they also affirm that the work force that could have taken part at its construction must have been somewhere around 5.000. But, this figure seems largely exaggerated, there is no proof of the existence of such a large population "up there" and, the city itself could have offered home to a maximum of just under 1.000 people.

The city has 140 stone buildings, most of which are in very good conditions.

The roofs are missing, because they were built from wood, leaves and other perishable materials that have disintegrated over the time.

Interesting about Machu Picchu is that, similarly to the ancient Egyptian civilization, the Incas didn't use mortar to stick the construction stones together. This technique is called "dry stone" technique.

It's unknown how the rocks were split and how they were shaped and put into place. Some people speculate on a wooden wedge technique: Incas could have drilled holes into the rocks, then placed wet wooden wedges into them and wait for the cold to freeze them and then split the blocks. But this theory still doesn't explain the smoothness of the rocks. 

The stones were most probably extracted on spot, fact proven by the quarry that still exists within the citadel.

The Incas were extraordinary constructors: precise measurements were made before the constructions, but it's a mystery how they made calculations because they didn't write!

The immense stone blocks were cut precisely (we still don't know what cutting technique was used), put in place so tight that not even a knife can be put between them. The dry stone walls of the buildings have stood the test of time very well. Many junctions are still so tight that one can not even stick a knife between them!

The Inca irrigation system is over 600 years-old and it still works! The water runs in rocks, which were carved out to form the waterways. Instead of putting it together piece by piece, they tried using as few different components as possible, probably in order to minimize the water loss. It is a wonder of engineering, indeed!

It is unbelievable, but all of these buildings have been erected without the use of any wheel-equipped tool. The Incas did not use wheel in any operation. Even the emperors were carried by servants on large flat pads.

Machu Picchu is incredibly variated, there are houses, temples, a jail, etc, but there's also an open area, which the Incas called "pata".  

Machu Picchu was a sanctuary, rather than an ordinary city. It is believed that it was inhabited mainly by priests. Most buildings are houses, several temples and there is also a jail within the complex.

The residences occupy most of the city. Interconnected water fountains, irrigation systems are located within and around the complex, which ensured drinking water, but also water for the baths and the irrigation systems. 

The stones used for the construction of Machu Picchu are heavy, hard granite stones. They're one among the hardest materials and even today, require special equipment for cutting and the operation can take hours (depending on the thickness).

Stone steps are often completely carved out of a single piece of granite. We don't know why the Incas chose this complicated way for building stairs. It certainly ensures more stability over time, the fewer components are used, the more resistant the structures are.

The stairs in the city are not all put together from single pieces of rocks, but are sometimes carved out of hard granite blocks. There are several such stairways in the city, single stone block stairs.

Machu Picchu has 2 parts: and urban section and an agricultural one. The urban section of the ruin land comprises 3 major districts: the Popular District, the Sacred District and the District of the Priests And Nobility.  

Tour guides and guidebooks often mislead naive tourists on the exact purpose of certain buildings. The "Temple of the Condor", which archaeologists say was a place for human sacrifices. Guides usually say that it was a temple, in order not to terrify the tourists, among them are many children.

The stones used for construction were taken from the surrounding areas, most were excavated and cut out on spot from the local quarry. This is clearly visible within the complex. Many stones still lie there, very close to buildings around.    

The citadel was built on top of a plateau. A small flat area on top of a mountain. The plateau was further flattened to make it ideal for the construction. Today, we can see an almost perfectly flat area on which the city lies. All this was the work of the intelligent Incas who made it look almost as perfect as a golf course. The area covered by Machu Picchu is 20 ha (hectares).

The Incas have selected this special location for the city in order to be well isolated, it could be easily defended from potential attacks. They exploited the geographical advantages and so they have created a wonder that was able to survive for many generations.  

The idea of Machu Picchu being a sanctuary is widely debated. But, due to its special characteristics, Machu Picchu differs in many ways from "usual" Inca cities. Some say that the large number of temples and the presence of numerous natural elements, such as caves and cliffs, mountains, springs that are included in the city are typical characteristics of sanctuaries.

The typical characteristics of Inca construction can be recognized in Machu Picchu: the irregular shape of the walls, as well as that of the rocks that compose them (we think mainly of the multiangle rocks), the fact that the building walls are slightly sloped (the upper part is not as wide as the base). But, most importantly the layout of the city as presented above. For detailed info on the buildings within Machu Picchu, check our section about the attractions. 

On top of hills, altars can be found. The Incas placed these ceremonial objects slightly higher than other parts of the city, the reason is clearly understandable. These sacred areas periodically hosted gatherings, ceremonies.

Machu Picchu has more than 100 stairs. Some of them have more than 100 steps.  

Today tourists crowds are so dense that you'll find yourself struggling to get ahead between hundreds of curious foreign tourists. It is due to the increasing popularity of the site, why the Peruvian government is taking measures to conserve the site better. The increase of tourist numbers contributes to the degradation of the construction, therefore certain areas of the city, like Huayna Picchu (Waynapicchu), can only be visited in limited periods of time, by limited numbers of visitors.   

The stairs in the city are not all put together from single pieces of rocks, but are sometimes carved out of hard granite blocks. There are several such stairways in the city, single stone block stairs.  

Water is plentiful. Water fountains (known as "pacchas"), interconnected water channels that form ponds are also present, to the surprise of many tourists.

Perhaps the Incas also had parks and enjoyed the beauty of these parts of the city.

Even though it seems so perfect, something is missing. Guessed what? Well, the roofs!

Some building tops have been reconstructed. Seeing them you can imagine how Machu Picchu looked like when it was in use.  

The planning of the construction must have been difficult, it's still debated how exactly the Incas made calculations for the structures, because they did not write (unlike the Egyptians and Mayas who are also admired for their construction and architectural skills).

It's unbelievable that many buildings have stone blocks so tightly put together that one can not even put a blade between them!

Walking through Machu Picchu, you'll discover differences between the construction techniques used on different structures. It's good to take the time, walk around and analyze the dwellings.

The aqueducts are in function, so when you're "up there", you'll see them working: the water runs through the stone channels just like 5 centuries ago! 

Building the citadel on top of the 2.350 m high mountain on rough terrain using no mortar and only hard and heavy rocks was a marvelous achievement. Even today, if we'd like to build something similar, it would be a tremendous effort, even though we have modern equipment on our side.