Discovering Machu Picchu in Seoul

Covered under thick vegetation, as if claimed by Mother Nature as her own, the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu was discovered and made public in 1911 by U.S. archeologist Hiram Bingham.

Through a photo exhibition, the Peruvian Embassy is celebrating the centennial anniversary of the discovery of one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, first at the Korea Foundation Cultural Center until Nov. 12 and then at Sookmyung Women’s University until January.

Having been there twice, Peruvian Ambassador Marcela Lopez-Bravo explained that the site gives off a mystical aura of relaxation and peace.

“You have the feeling that it’s a very special place, the biodiversity is very diverse and it’s filled with lush vegetation,” she told The Korea Herald. “Machu Picchu is about peace and love.”

The photo exhibition displays pictures of Machu Picchu, its ruins and architecture, its biodiversity, replicas of maps from 1905 and 1890 and several pictures of Bingham’s 1911 discovery expedition to the “City in the Clouds.”

Machu Picchu is a historical site from the Inca Empire (1438-1533) and has become the subject of much conjecture, with some suggesting that it was the site of the empire’s last resistance, a holy shrine, or the residence of the Inca royal family.

The prevailing view is that it was likely a sacred site where ancestral rituals were carried out.

Lopez-Bravo hopes that the exhibition will attract vacationers wanting to explore something completely different. But be warned; it is a minimum two-day trip to get there from Korea.

So the ambassador suggested to take two weeks, discover Machu Picchu at leisure and then check out the surrounding sites in Cuzco and of course, Lima.

Since it was never known to the Spanish during their conquest, it is highly significant as a relatively intact cultural site.

Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.

Machu Picchu stands 2,430 meters above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. The pictures hanging in the exhibition only give a small taste of what is waiting for the would-be traveler.

It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire.

In 1913, National Geographic unveiled Machu Picchu to the world in its 25th anniversary issue

To make the exhibition even more special, the Korea Foundation Cultural Center along with the embassy is holding a lucky draw for a round-trip ticket to Peru to visit the historical site. There is one catch though, contestants must answer three questions, but there are clues.

Just like any explorer, contestants must read the writing on the walls to find the answers to three relatively easy questions about the City in the Clouds.

Also on Nov. 12, Peruvian Minister Councilor Susana Corbacho will hold a special talk about Machu Picchu at 2 p.m.

For more information about the center and the exhibition, visit www.kf.or.kr

By Yoav Cerralbo (yoav@heraldcorp.com)