Huayna Picchu

Huayna Picchu
Sunrise over Huayna Picchu towering above the ruins of Machu Picchu
Highest point
Elevation	2,693 m (8,835 ft)
Prominence	313 m (1,027 ft)[1]
Coordinates	13°09′27″S 72°32′50″W / 13.15750°S 72.54722°W / -13.15750; -72.54722
Naming
Native name	Wayna Pikchu (Quechua)
Geography
Huayna Picchu Peru
Parent range	Andes

Huayna Picchu, Quechua: Wayna Pikchu, is a mountain in Peru around which the Urubamba River bends. It is located in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Machupicchu District.^[2] It rises over Machu Picchu, the so-called lost city of the Incas. The Incas built a trail up the side of the Huayna Picchu and built temples and terraces on its top. The peak of Huayna Picchu is 2,693 metres (8,835 ft) above sea level, or about 260 metres (850 ft) higher than Machu Picchu.^[3]

According to local guides, the top of the mountain was the residence for the high priest and the local virgins. Every morning before sunrise, the high priest with a small group would walk to Machu Picchu to signal the coming of the new day. The Temple of the Moon, one of the three major temples in the Machu Picchu area, is nestled on the side of the mountain and is situated at an elevation lower than Machu Picchu. Adjacent to the Temple of the Moon is the Great Cavern, another sacred temple with fine masonry. The other major local temples in Machu Picchu are the Temple of the Condor, Temple of Three Windows, Principal Temple, "Unfinished Temple", and the Temple of the Sun, also called the Torreon.^[4]

Its name is Hispanicized, possibly from the Quechua, alternative spelling Wayna Pikchu; wayna young, young man, pikchu pyramid, mountain or prominence with a broad base which ends in sharp peaks,^[5][6] "young peak". The current Quechua orthography used by the Ministerio de Cultura is Waynapicchu and Machupicchu.^[7]