Inti Watana Stone Calendar at Machu Picchu, Peru Postcard

Inti Watana, or Intiwatana, is a calendar stone at Machu Picchu, the Inca citadel in Peru. In the late 16th century, the Viceroy Francisco de Toledo and the clergy destroyed any inti watana that they could find, believing that the Incas' religion was blasphemous and the religious significance of the inti watana could be a political liability. The Inti Watana at Machu Picchu escaped destruction and was found intact by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911. The Inti Watana is aligned with the sun's position during the winter solstice. The Inca believed the stone held the sun in its place along its annual path in the sky. At midday on November 11 and January 30 the sun stands almost above the pillar, casting no shadow at all. On June 21, the stone casts the longest shadow on its southern side and on December 21, a much shorter one on its northern side. Pedro Sueldo Nava describes the landmark as "perhaps one of the most beautiful and enigmatic places to be found in Machu Picchu." Machu Picchu was built around 1450, at the height of the Inca Empire and was abandoned in 1572. It was thought to be an estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti, who ruled 1438 to 1472. This citadel is probably the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. Although the Machu Picchu citadel is only about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Cusco, the Inca capital, the Spanish never found it and consequently did not plunder or destroy it, as they did many other sites. After Machu Picchu was abandoned, the surrounding jungle grew over the site, and few knew of its existence. Bingham brought international attention to the site in 1911. The National Geographic Society devoted their entire April 1913 issue to Machu Picchu. In 1983 UNESCO designated Machu Picchu a World Heritage Site, describing it as "an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization." In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll. In 1981 Peru declared an area of 325.92 square kilometres (125.84 sq mi) surrounding Machu Picchu as a "Historical Sanctuary" It's a very popular tourist destination, but because of the pressure of it being loved to death, tourist numbers are limited each day.