Machu Picchu's Odyssey from Hidden Treasure to New World Wonder

Machu Picchu's odyssey from being a hidden treasure for the world to being elected as one of the new seven world wonders.

Cuzco, Peru, July 28, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Machu Picchu (IPA pronunciation: ['mɑ.tʃu 'pik.tʃu]) (Quechua: Machu Pikchu Old Peak; sometimes called the "Lost City") is a pre-Columbian city built by the Inca Pachakutec in the 15th century. It is located at 2,430 m (7,970 ft) on a mountain ridge. Machu Picchu is located above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, about 70 km (44 mi) northwest of Cusco. It was probably abandoned by the Incas because of a smallpox outbreak and, after the Spanish defeated the Incan Empire, the city remained 'lost' for over three centuries.

Forgotten for centuries by the outside world, although not by locals, it was brought back to international attention by archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911, who made the first scientific confirmation of the site and wrote a best-selling work about it.

Machu Picchu is probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", the site was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 when it was described as "an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization".

This incredible site has now been elected to be part of the Official New Seven Wonders of the World, in the first ever global election. The ceremony has taken place on July 7th, 2007 in the Stadium De la Luz in Lisbon, Portugal. The election process has been going on for a couple of years, with about 400 monuments spread around the world at the beginning to the last seven ones.

The finalists were the following: The Acropolis, Greece - Alhambra, Spain - Angkor, Cambodia - Statues of Easter Island, Chile - Eiffel Tower, France - Hagia Sophia, Turkey - Kiyomizu Temple, Japan - Kremlin/St. Basil, Russia - Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany - Pyramids of Giza, Egypt - Statue of Liberty, USA - Stonehenge, United Kingdom - Sydney Opera House, Australia and Timbuktu, Mali.

And the final chosen monuments to be part of the selected group are:
The Great Wall, China - Petra, Jordan - Christ Redeemer, Brazil - Machu Picchu, Peru Chichén Itzá, Mexico - The Roman Coliseum, Italy and The Taj Mahal, India

The only way to get to the ruins is through the Inca’s Imperial Capital of Cuzco, located about 70 kilometers from the ruins and take the train for an incredible trip through the Andes. The city of Cuzco is the starting point for your trip and here you can enjoy relics such as the Cathedral, the Compañía’s Church, the ruins of Sacsayhuaman and various colonial buildings, many of them hosting top hotels like Monasterio and www.losapushotel.com

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