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26 pictures that will make you want to visit Machu Picchu

Sophie-Claire HoellerJul 24, 2015, 20:40 IST

Shutterstock

If there was ever a beaten path to take, it's that of the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru.

Often referred to as the Lost City of the Incas, it consists of more than 150 buildings and is steeped in mystery, as no one can quite agree on what it was and why it was abandoned.

Re-discovered by historian Hiram Bingham on July 24, 1911, Machu Picchu is now one of South America's most famous tourist attractions, with about 1.2 million visitors a year.

Here are 26 photos that show why the ancient Incan city has remained one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world for over a century.