Machu Picchu is an Inca citadel set high in the Andes Mountains in Peru, above the Urubamba Valley. It was built in the 15th century and abandoned a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest. The site was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti and was strategically located for protection from disease and as a connection to Inca gods. It was lost for centuries until its rediscovery in 1911 by American historian Hiram Bingham. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Machu Picchu is one of the most iconic archaeological sites in South America and a major tourist attraction.