Machu Picchu’s secrets uncovered

IT’S an ancient masterpiece and one of the most popular tourist attractions on Earth, but there’s a lot you don’t know about Machu Picchu.

THE moment had finally arrived. I was standing at the top of the ancient masterpiece of the Incas, totally in awe.

The lost city of Machu Picchu looks just as fascinating and magical as I had dreamt of, and it could be straight out of a fairytale. Sure, my stomach was turning from the altitude sickness, and I was weary from the 4.30am trek to the mountain peak, battling hordes of tourists along the way, but it was all worth it. Rows and rows of stone blocks caress the side of the mountain, while huge walls, terraces and temples seemingly rise straight to the heavens. Fog often swirls overhead, adding to the dramatic and otherworldly sight. In a remarkable feat of 15th-century construction, the Incas flattened the top of the 2430m mountain to accommodate 200 structures, including temples and houses. They were forced to abandon the site a little more than 100 years after it was built in a bid to protect it from the incoming Spaniards, who never actually found it. It was then lost to civilisation for centuries before being rediscovered in 1911. It’s a mysterious wonder — the Incas built their stone city, including a water supply system, without using wheels or iron tools. And it’s not just the jawdropping architecture that has people puzzled — the ancient masterpiece still holds plenty of secrets to this day. How they ran a vast empire in an isolated area of Peru without building any marketplaces is intriguing, and dramatically different to most other old cities, where market squares were key. Why did they have no recognisable economy, and how did they prosper without it? There are many things you probably don’t know about Machu Picchu — even if you’ve been there before. THERE’S A LOT YOU CAN’T SEE The Incas conducted about 60 per cent of their construction work on the city underground, where a labyrinth of foundations walls and drainage lies. THERE'S STILL MUCH TO BE FOUND The forest grows so quickly that it leaves a lot to be discovered. Just a few years ago, French engineer David Crespy was reported to have found a secret door and wondered “how did nobody else notice this?” The next year, a team of Peruvian archaeologists including Thierry Jamin and adventurists, delved further and found it was an accessway to a burial site. However, their bid to get inside by moving stones was stopped by local authorities and the work has stalled. There are also new terraces that have recently opened to the public. And there could be countless trails not yet discovered. THERE’S A HIDDEN MUSEUM Wait — how did I miss that? Unless you’re with a tour guide, when you explore Machu Picchu you’re inevitably left with a lot of questions and few answers. But it turns out that there’s a great museum providing a wealth of information, but it’s a bit tricky to find. The Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón lies at the end of a dirt road near the base of Machu Picchu. It’s worth a visit prior to seeing the ruins as it provides great context and facts. MOUNT MACHU PICCHU There’s another mountain with better views nearby and it’s actually called Machu Picchu Mountain and it lies on the south side of the site. It’s empty most of the time, as tourists favour the north peak of Mount Huayna Picchu (but most end up getting turned away as only the first 400 people are allowed up). The north peak is also about half as tall as its sister peak. It takes 90 minutes to climb but it’s worth it. Just wait for the fog to clear. THERE’S A SECRET TEMPLE The trail to the Temple of the Moon caves isn’t for the faint-hearted. You climb to the left side of the Huayna Picchu Mountain, up a ladder, for an hour. Only one person can climb at a time. But it’s amazing. INTIMACHAY Intimachay is an impressive site that means “cave of the sun”. It lies below the main ruins and most tourists miss it. WAS IT THE END OF A PILGRIMAGE? There’s a recent theory put forward by archaeoastronomer Giulio Magli that the journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu may have been for ceremonial reasons, following the celestial trip of the first Incas from Lake Titicaca. We will probably never know all of Machu Picchu’s secrets, and that’s what makes it special. When is the best time to book a hike on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu?