This Day in History: <br />Machu Picchu <br />Is 'Discovered' July 24, 1911 Searching for the famous "lost" cities <br />of the Inca empire in Peru, American <br />archeologist Hiram Bingham and his team laid <br />eyes upon the ancient settlement for the first time. Guided by locals and an 11-year-old boy, <br />the team scaled the mountain ridge of Machu <br />Picchu ("Old Peak" in the <br />Quechua language). The multi-level site <br />extends over five miles. Thought to have been a summer <br />retreat for Inca leaders, its many <br />levels are connected by more <br />than 3,000 stone steps. Since its "discovery" by the <br />American team, Machu Picchu <br />has become one of the world's <br />top tourist destinations. More than 300,000 <br />people travel to the <br />ancient marvel <br />every year.
