Machu Picchu Pictures
A Small Photographic Guide of the
Lost City of the Inca

Many times people ask me what are the specific parts I consider the most impressive of the Machu Picchu ruins, and I let them know it is very difficult to select just a few. Here I put together a brief photographic mini-guide to let you have a taste of this powerful ancient ruins.

What to See... Machu Picchu Pictures

When visiting this phenomenal Inca ruins make sure you capture these places...

Machu Picchu is divided in two parts, the urban section and the farming section. The farming terraces are a magnificent creation that probably made the city self-sufficient. Others believe the terraces may have protected the city from sismic activity.
Picture by Theodore Scott

When you enter the city by using the main entrance you will see the Guard's House located in the agricultural section. Here's an optimum chance to map out your visit to the ruins. This is one of the best places to snap shots as it allows you to see every place in the city.
Picute by Jordan Klein

Enter the Urban Site. In the upper building complex you can see one of the principal housing areas. By now you may have noticed the polished dry stone walls without any joint material, this method is called ashlar. Not even a thin knife blade fits through.
Picture by Sashibellamkonda

Inca houses had connected roofs. The doors and windows are trapezoidal in shape, and typical "L" shaped blocks usually joint outside corners. The walls in the houses are offset slightly from row to row, making the city fair well after earthquakes.
Picture by Matthew Hickey

This round structure is The Temple of the Sun. In the middle you can see a rock with a straight edge that precisely aligns with the light falling through the only window of the temple during the Summer solstice. Beside the temple you can also see The Room of the Three Windows and the Hitching Post of the Sun. These buildings honored Inti, the Inca's sun god and greatest deity.

Picture by Shazari

The Temple of the Moon is made of a natural cave with five niches sculpted into a white granite stone wall. Picture by Gusjer

The city has a built-in water system for allowing the fountains' water to run from one tub to another. The system still works today. The water comes from an underground spring not far away. Water was very important amongst the Inca who worshiped it.
Picture by Shazari

This is one of my favorite Machu Picchu pictures. It shows the Dry Moat at Machu Picchu that separates the urban site from the agricultural area.
Picture by Tinou Bao