07/31/09

The director of Unesco World Heritage Center, Francesco Bandarin, was positively impressed with the conservation works undertaken in the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, inspected during his visit to the world heritage. These statements were made by Fernando Astete, head of Machu Picchu Archaeological Park, who noted that the foreign inspector made favorable comments about the works and projects toward the preservation of the site.

Bandarin visited Cusco earlier this week accompanied by the National Institute of Culture (INC) regional director, Jorge Zegarra, said the specialist. However, they are concerned about the population’s growth rate in the town of Machu Picchu (also known as Aguas Calientes), a mandatory destination for those visiting the Inca citadel. "The population of Aguas Calientes has steadily increased in recent years; however, this situation must be handled by the municipality," said Astete. Bandarin also visited the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where he was satisfied with conservation and restoration works.

source Andina