More thousands of years before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Mayan peoples inhabited the territory of the modern Yucatan Peninsula. The Mayans were engaged in agriculture, were able to write, and had deep knowledge of astronomy. The Mayans built stone cities, which were the centers of their civilization. There were their rulers, there they worshiped the gods and performed sacrifices.
By the time the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, most Mayan cities had already been abandoned, and some — deliberately buried before being abandoned. Many of these cities have been perfectly preserved to this day and now represent the most visited tourist attractions in Mexico. You can't visit Mexico without visiting the pyramids!
The most remarkable sights of the Mayan culture in Mexico are located in the state, which has the same name as the peninsula — Yucatan.
Chichen Itza
Perhaps Chichen Itza is the most famous archaeological site of the entire Caribbean coast of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula. Every year, the archaeological zone of Chichen Itza is visited by more than 2.5 million guests from countries around the world. In 2007, according to a survey conducted by the New Open World Corporation, the city was recognized as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Chichen Itza has also been considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
In X — In the 14th century, the city of Chichen Itza established itself as one of the most powerful Mayan political centers. In the middle of the city stands the Pyramid of Kukulkan, square in plan, with stairs on each of the four sides leading up to a rectangular temple located at the top of the pyramid. On the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes, crowds of people gather at the pyramid to admire how the feathered serpent Kukulkan slithers from its top. This effect is produced by the play of sunlight and shadows on the northern side of the pyramid.
More than one attraction of Chichen Itza is the Temple of the Warriors, 40 meters high, having a stepped pyramidal shape and consisting of four levels. At the top it has two halls with vaults, access to which is through the side halls. Two columns, made in the form of shaped feathered serpents, are located on the sides of the entrance to the temple.
The Temple of a Thousand Columns actually has only about 200 pilasters, square at the base and round columns, which supported vaults built on wooden floors, forming, to sum up, a square plan with a side of 150 m.
Venus Platform — a square structure with a side of 25 m, received this name because of the stars carved on its edges. In addition, there are bas-reliefs dedicated to the god Kukulkan, and the remains of paintings in red, blue and yellow colors.
Outside the Great Platform are Tsompantli ("wall" or "row of skulls" in Nahuatl) in the shape of a T, with side panels decorated with skulls at the base. This structure is clearly of Toltec origin.
The ball court, 160 meters long, is considered the largest and best preserved in Mesoamerica. The observatory, also known as the Snail (El Caracol), is a tower built on two rectangular platforms with a spiral staircase inside, which gives it its name.
One of the two temples located at the edges of the ball court is called the Temple of the Jaguars for the reason that at its entrance there is a sculpture of this living creature. Inside there are wall paintings of various themes, mainly military. One of them reproduces an entire battle, where warriors are armed with spears, shields and devices for throwing weapons. The columns of the Temple of the Jaguars are decorated with reliefs depicting warriors in rich attire.
An outstanding building in the Puuc architectural style is the Church, so named because it resembles Christian temples. Its outer part has a stripe, on which large masks depicting a nosed face alternate with niches in which there are figures of an armadillo, a snail, a turtle and a crab.
In addition to this, it will be worth visiting the Holy Saint from — a reservoir in which people sacrificed to the water god Chaak, and in which objects made of ceramics, jadeite and gold were found.
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Uxmal
The name Uxmal means «built three times». Uxmal reached its peak at the end of the Classical period (from 700 to 1000 AD) and has 15 groups of buildings located over an area of two kilometers from north to south. The most impressive building — This is the Sorcerer's Pyramid, 35 meters high, which was built in at least five stages over a period of about 300 years. Elliptical in plan, it is considered a rather unusual structure for Mayan architecture. The staircase leading to the top of the pyramid is oriented along the axis along which the sun sets on the summer solstice.
Almost opposite is the Rectangle of Nuns or Monastery — an ensemble of four elongated buildings surrounding a courtyard on four sides and decorated with stone mosaics and masterful carvings. In its ornaments you can see huge masks of the rain god Chaak, curlicues — intertwining snakes and geometric shapes.
The Great Pyramid, which is actually smaller than the Wizard's Pyramid and not as pointed, consists of nine stepped levels. At the top is the Temple of Parrots, so named because of the images of these birds. The facade is decorated with decorations, and inside there is a large Chaak mask with a huge nose.
The Palace of the Ruler is 98 m long, 12 m wide and 8.5 m high. The façade is decorated with huge masks alternating with seated figures. The central figure is the image of the ruler in a luxurious headdress, which rests on a throne in the form of a snake.
Uxmal was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and has a museum displaying sculptures and other elements typical of the Puuc architectural style, of which Uxmal is the main representative.
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Mayapan
The city of Mayapán was founded in the 13th century AD. e. The distribution of buildings around the ceremonial area is elliptical in plan and there are more than 4,000 structures. Here, in addition, there is evidence that the urban area was fenced with a wall.
The most significant structure of Mayapan is a smaller copy of the Pyramid of Kukulcan from Chichen Itza, consisting of nine levels built on top of each other.
In Mayapan, structures of a public, administrative and religious nature were discovered, among which — round in plan of the building and groups of columns in the form of snakes. In the lower part of many buildings there are preserved paintings with a lot of detail and their original colors.
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Dzibilchaltun
The name Dzibilchaltún means «place where there are writings on stones». Many stone steles were discovered here, with inscriptions and images designed to perpetuate certain events. The city reached an impressive size, with some 8,400 structures found, arranged in circles around a ceremonial center that covered an area of about 25 hectares and consisted of monumental buildings.
Temple of the Seven Dolls — the most famous building in the city. The temple got its name from the fact that an offering to the gods with seven human figurines was found here.
Along one of the roads coming from the ceremonial center, you can reach the village of Shlakach. Senfrom was used for ritual purposes; objects made of ceramics, stone and bone have been discovered in its days.
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Ek-Balam
Ek Balam — ancient capital of the Mayan culture. How, and many other cities, reached its peak during the late Classical period (700-1000 AD). The city is surrounded by two walls, which can be crossed through a passage under a large Mayan arch.
The main complex of buildings is the Acropolis, consisting of three levels, approximately 150 m long and 5 m wide. In addition, there is a ball court and a road leading to the city center.
The significance of Ek Balam lies in the design of various decorative elements. There are types of architectural decorations here that have not been found in other cities, such as impressively sized winged people or hieroglyphic snakes.
In the center of the city is the Great Pyramid, from which you can see the archaeological zone of Coba, to which the city was connected via the “white road”.
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