1 Nuevo Sol – Architecture and Monuments – Machu Picchu

The obverse of the coin depicts the citadel of Machu Picchu located in the sacred valley of the Incas in the Department of the Cusco at an altitude of 2,350 metres. Its construction is attributed to the Inca Pachacutec, the founder of the Tawantinsuyo. It may have been a sacred fortress or temple dedicated to the cult of the Sun God, though it has also been considered a sanctuary where the Acilas were trained. These were women chosen and educated in the temple, who would later serve the Inca and the High Priest.