The Sacred Valley of the Incas in the Andes - the valley of the Urubamba River - the cradle of the Inca civilization. It is here that the majority of archaeological sites of the Incan empire are located, from the village of Urubamba, the formerly summer residence of the Inca rulers, to the legendary secret city of Machu Picchu. Due to its favorable location, the river valley was characterized by fertility and a good climate, even when other regions of modern Peru suffered from many years of drought. Researchers believe that it was the ease with which the valley provided its population with food that allowed the Inca tribe in the 11th century to liberate some people from agriculture, to begin to conquer nearby territories.
It is here, in the sacred valley, that the most famous monuments of the Inca and pre-Inca culture of Peru are located: the city of Cuzco and the Kenko Temple - an archaeological monument, which is two rock formations with numerous underground galleries in the form of a maze, steps, ledges, masonry and small channels, punched in the rocks in the shape of a zigzag. The fortress and temple complex of Saksayhuaman is a majestic serf and ceremonial complex located on a steep hill, the Puka Pukara fortress and the Tambomachai water monastery. The archaeological complex of Pisak, famous for its astronomical observatory. The city and the archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo is one of the very few cities of the Inca times, in which people still live and the water supply system built in the 15th century operates. Nearby are terraces for farming, and on the slopes of the mountains around Ollantaitambo granaries were located, which can be seen even now. Chinchero and his temple of colonial times, built directly on top of the walls of the Inca Temple of the Sun. The terraced pools of the Maras salt mines served and are used for the extraction of salt. Water here contains a large amount of minerals and during evaporation it releases salt. Morai is a complex of terraces for farming, built in the form of expanding rings, similar to an amphitheater. It is believed that in the time of the Incas, agricultural research was carried out here. And, of course, the most famous attraction of the sacred valley - Machu Picchu - the mysterious Inca city, built in the middle of the 15th century. It is located about 100 km from the capital of the Inca Empire, Cuzco. Since 1983, Machu Picchu has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and since 2007 it has been included in the list of New Wonders of the World.