Mexicans are proud of their famous pyramids, considering them symbols of the country. In the Middle Ages, structures were most carefully hidden from the Spaniards, taking care of the protection of ancient artifacts.
To see the cities built many centuries ago, tourists from all over the world come to Mexico to visit the villages destroyed by time. Many of them did not leave a trace, and the pyramids erected by the Aztecs remained almost in their original form.
In what ancient city is the Kukulkan pyramid?
The sacred city of Chichen Itza, whose name translates as “tribe well”, was founded in the 12th century AD. The huge cultural center of the Mayans, located on the Yucatan Peninsula, was intended for religious ceremonies.
The Kukulkan pyramid is the main attraction of the ancient settlement, attracting close attention not only of travelers, but also of scientists who study the Mayan culture , which has left many mysteries .
Toltek city capture
Two centuries later, the city was captured by the Toltecs, who turned it into the capital of the peninsula. The leader of the invading Indians was the high priest of the god Quetzalcoatl - the creator of the world and the creator of people, an analogue of which, according to Mayan beliefs, was Kukulkan.
The pyramid-temple, which was erected in honor of the deity, is located in the heart of the settlement. The height of the structure of 24 meters made it visible from anywhere in the city. The structure consisting of nine platforms is precisely oriented to the cardinal points.
This mysterious pyramid is built taking into account exact mathematical calculations, and each of its elements is closely connected with the geographical and astronomical cycles of the earth.
Mysteries of the Pyramid
Researchers of the Mayan civilization are sure that it was used for cult rites and sacrifices to appease a deity named Kukulkan. The pyramid, on the upper platform of which there was a temple with four entrances, still keeps a huge number of secrets.
It was found that the sacred structure is a real material embodiment of the complex calendar of a departed civilization connected with ancient legends.
Certificate of Deity
Kukulkan is the main god in the mythologies of the Toltecs and Mayans. He was represented in several guises and was most often depicted in symbolic images of a snake with a human head.
The deity who controlled fire, water, land and air was greatly revered by the Indians. They called him the Feathered Serpent, and this is the second name that the great god Kukulkan had. The pyramid built in his honor is world famous for its incredible visual effect.
Unusual visual phenomenon
As scientists calculated, if the builders of the temple were mistaken by at least one degree, then there would simply be no miracle for which tourists come.
This is the one of a kind phenomenon for which the Kukulkan pyramid is famous. The city of Chichen Itza in the autumn and spring, on the days of the equinox, is filled with people who came from the farthest corners only to contemplate a memorable picture as a huge snake glides over the surface of an ancient structure.
The staircase that goes along the north side of the pyramid, at the base ends with stone serpent heads, symbolizing the supreme god. And twice a year, at a strictly defined time, a gigantic image appears that does not disappear for more than three hours. It seems that the huge snake came to life and begins to move.
Unsolved secrets of a highly developed civilization
This effect is achieved thanks to the play of light and shadow, and the ancient Mayans, who watched the picture, imagined that a revived god descends to them on the ground. And some visitors to the pyramid noted that after a stunning spectacle comes spiritual cleansing.
The appearance of a moving serpent twice a year testified to the developed culture and science of the lost Mayan civilization. One can only admire the vast knowledge of topographers and astronomers who accurately calculated the moment the image appeared, which delights and makes you think a lot.
How could the Mayans who lived several thousand years ago without special devices receive an image whose appearance is programmed with such incredible accuracy? Was it a highly developed civilization or was it helped by an alien mind? Unfortunately, there are still no answers to many questions that concern mankind.
Interesting facts about the pyramid
Speaking of mythology, it is necessary to mention that the Mayans considered the kingdom of the dead to be composed of nine heavens, through which all the inhabitants went to the underworld. Therefore, it is not surprising that on the edges of the pyramid the same number of ledges helped, according to beliefs, to deservingly leave this world.
The Mayan calendar year totaled not eighteen, but eighteen. At the top of the pyramid was a sacred temple, to which there were four steep stairs located on different sides and the number of which corresponded to the seasons.
The staircases, clearly directed to different parts of the world, divided into eighteen flights, served as Maya for astronomical observations.
The calendar cycle of the Indians consisted of 52 years, and there were as many reliefs on the walls of the main sanctuary.
365 steps
The steps of the Kukulkan pyramid, the total number of which is 365, like the days of the year, cause incredible interest among researchers. Looking at them from below, it seems that the width of the stairs at the entire distance is the same. However, this is an optical illusion, and in fact it is expanding upward.
Each of the four stairs consists of 91 steps, and the last is the upper platform, on which the temple was located, the main deity of which was Kukulkan.
The pyramid, in fact, is the largest solar calendar, and all the figures given are not a simple coincidence. But not only that, it is interesting. In addition to visual effects, the building surprises with unusual acoustics. Scientists who have studied the temple complex for a long time have discovered that it is an excellent resonator.
Acoustics of the temple
The sounds of the steps of people climbing stairs inside the pyramid are wonderfully transformed into the voice of a sacred bird for Mayan peoples. It was found that the ritual rites of sacrifice were necessarily accompanied by cries of quetzal.
It is not known how the ancient builders accurately calculated the thickness of the folded walls to achieve such amazing acoustics in the halls of the temple.
Another phenomenon
The nearby site surprises with its phenomenal properties: people who are at a great distance from each other talked and perfectly heard every word. And not a single person could eavesdrop on the conversation, unless he came close to one of the interlocutors.
Such strange acoustics seem impossible to many, but any visitor to the pyramid can now experience this phenomenon.
Exploring the city and the pyramids
The mysterious pyramid of Kukulkan, the photo of which is presented in the article, takes thousands of travelers who have heard about its wonders. And among the many religious monuments of history, it is the most visited. No one knows what happened to the oldest settlement of Chichen Itza, but for some reason the inhabitants left the city in the 14th century, and over time it got lost in the green jungle.
In the last century, large-scale studies of the pyramid began with its simultaneous restoration. On the restored steps, every tourist will be able to climb to the very top and enjoy the amazing view of the ancient city.
New secrets
The Kukulkan pyramid in the city of Chichen Itza is considered a real man-made miracle, the secrets of which will be solved by new generations. And while we admire the mathematical calculations made by ancient scientists without precise instruments, and the builders of the pyramid, who erected a powerful building by hand.
Most recently, researchers found another smaller pyramid inside the temple. For what purposes it was used - no one knows. The distance between the two structures is streaked with tunnels with secret passages.
A year ago, the scientific world stirred up the news that an underground lake was found under the pyramid. We will wait for new discoveries that will shed light on the ancient Mayan civilization.