a series of travel images from Peru, Machu Picchu, often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas". Its the most familiar symbol of the Incan Empire and also one of the most famous and spectacular ruins in the world. Situated in the Andes Mountains at an altitude of 2430 m. (8000 ft) the city was abandoned in the 16th century around the time of the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. It was rediscovered by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911. It was established as a Unesco World Heritage site in 1983.