One of the most famous places that is definitely worth visiting for all tourists traveling in Mexico is the ancient city of Chichen Itza. Translated, its name means "The mouth of the well of the sorcerers of water" or "A place near the well of the Itza tribe." This place is mysterious, very colorful and even a little sinister.
Chichec Itza - an object of world cultural heritage
In the past, the city was the political and cultural center of the Mayan Toltec civilization. And now, having become one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, it attracts a huge number of tourists. It is estimated that more than a million people visit this archaeological site annually. Chichen Itza gained immense popularity not only because it was well preserved. He became the quintessence of religious beliefs and ideas about the structure of the universe and the surrounding world of the Mayan people. A special influx of tourists occurred in December 2012. Having believed in an ancient prophecy, many adherents of the famous calendar rushed to Chichen Itza, wanting to "meet" the end of the world among the ancient Mayan structures.
Chichen Itza: history of occurrence
It is quite difficult to reliably describe the history of the creation of the city, since there are practically no manuscripts describing the ancient events of Chichen Itza - they were destroyed by the Spanish conquerors. Archaeologists believe that people began to settle in this place for the first time since the 4th century, and the first city buildings began to be erected around the 6th-7th centuries. At the same time, an urban community arose. Until the X century. Chichen Itza was the home of the Maya. And by the end of the X century. the city was conquered by the conquerors from Central Mexico - Toltecs, practicing sacrifices and serving the cult of the Feathered Serpent. They did not begin to destroy Chichen Itza, but on the contrary, they were firmly rooted in it. During the Toltec rule, the city became one of the most powerful settlements on the Yucatan Peninsula. From the 11th century the Toltecs made it the capital of their empire. Over time, it gradually changed and more and more acquired Toltec features. The symbiosis of two peculiar cultures made the ancient city truly unique. For unknown reasons, at the end of the XII century. he was abandoned by the inhabitants and overgrown with jungle. Only in 1920, archaeologists discovered the mysterious structures of the world.
The main attractions of the ancient Mayan city
The most famous building of the ancient city is the pyramid of Cuculcan (or otherwise - the pyramid of El Castillo). In 2007, she entered the list of seven new wonders of the world. The Kukulkan Pyramid of Chichen Itza was built in the 11th century. joint efforts of the Mayans and Toltecs. They erected a grandiose monument dedicated to the god of rain and the wind, Quetzalcoatl, who had the appearance of a feathered serpent with a human head. Maya Indians called the deity Kukulkan, that is, "feathered serpent." This structure was created on the basis of cosmological and calendar knowledge of the Mayans and Toltecs. It reaches a height of 24 m, and its faces are facing all four cardinal directions. At the top of the pyramid is a platform, in ancient times used to perform sacrifices.
Four steep and wide staircases lead to the site, each of which consists of 91 steps, which in total (together with the upper platform) gives a significant number 365, equal to the number of days in a sunny year. On each side of the pyramid there are 18 sections - terraces. This number is also symbolic. It equals the number of months in the Mayan calendar. In addition, 52 stone reliefs are located on each of the four sides of the pyramid. They embody the coincidence of the special Toltec calendar cycles - diurnal Chiupoually and diurnal tonalpoalli - occurring every 52 years. Interestingly, inside the sanctuary is another nine-step pyramid, the entrance to which was found relatively recently. There is a relic - the "Jaguar Mat" and the statue of "Chuck-Mole".
Temple of the Warriors of Chichen Itza
The second unique attraction of the city of Chichen Itza in Mexico is the famous Temple of the Warriors. It is located directly behind the El Castillo pyramid and is a monumental five-step pyramid, reaching a height of 11.5 m.
It is surrounded on all sides by columns made in the form of Toltec warriors. That is why the pyramid received such a name. At its top is a temple, consisting of a hall and a sanctuary. An impressive staircase leads to the temple, surrounded by balustrades. The entrance to the sanctuary is marked by snakes carved from stone. In the temple there is a stone altar resembling a low table, the legs of which are made in the form of human figures. It also houses the ugly stone idol of the Toltec deity Chuck-Mool - a reclining demon holding in his hands and clutching a large empty dish to his stomach. It is believed that it was on this dish that the priests burned the hearts of their victims.
Another mysterious attraction of the ancient Mayan city is the "Holy Cenote"
Not only the Chichen Itza pyramids in Mexico deserve the attention of many tourists. To the north of the El Castillo monument is another mysterious attraction called the "Holy Cenote" (otherwise - "The Well of Death"). This karst formation, unlike other wells, did not serve the Toltecs as a source of fresh water.
Priests dumped victims into it, glorifying their gods. The "Well of Death" had a depth of 50 m and was considered a kind of portal to the other world. Between 1910 - 1925 it was examined by Herbert Thompson, who extracted a large number of antiquities from it: items made of gold, ceramics, rubber, obsidian and, of course, many human remains.
Osuari Pyramid
There is another karst formation in Chichen Itza - the cenote Shtolok, which is located south of the Kukulkan Temple. He, unlike the "Well of Death", was used only by the Toltecs as a source of drinking water. A little later, the scientist G. Thompson explored yet another interesting Chichen Itza pyramid - Osuari (aka Crypt).
It, like the Kukulkan temple, was built with stairs on each of the four sides. Interestingly, in the center of the pyramid there is a deep vertical hole leading to a natural cave. In it, Thompson found several interesting jade artifacts, as well as human remains.
Ball court
Another sinister attraction of the city of Chichen Itza is Tsompantli. It is a T-shaped platform, the walls of which are decorated with relief images of skulls.
Used by Tsompantli to demonstrate the heads of victims, as well as prisoners of war. To the west of the Temple of Skulls is one of nine ballparks, striking in its sheer size. Its length is 168 m and a width of about 70 m. It is believed that they built it in 864 A.D. In the east of the site is the Jaguar Temple, which includes two shrines. The upper sanctuary is located on the wall that borders the site. Probably from here
noble people watched the progress of the ball game. The lower sanctuary is located on the outside of the site. Near its entrance stands a monument - the figure of a jaguar. In the northern part of the playground there is another structure - the Temple of the Bearded Man. A staircase leads to its entrance opening, divided by two pillars. Inside the temple is decorated with a relief, in the center of which is the figure of a man with a beard.
Observatory Karakol
To the south of the ball court there are several other attractions, including the Red House - a building whose facade is painted red - and Karakol (in translation - "snail shell") - a tower built on the platform. It is believed that it was used by the Maya Indians to observe astronomical objects, calculate the days of the equinox and the summer solstice. Therefore, Karakol is otherwise called the Observatory.
South of the tower is another powerful Toltec building, which the Spaniards called the "Convent" for its stately and impregnable appearance. It reaches a height of 20 m, and its base is 70 m by 35 m. A wide staircase leads to the entrance to the monastery. The building itself is decorated with masks of the god Chuck and a variety of relief patterns.
How to get to the ancient city of Chichen Itza?
This World Heritage Site is located 1.5 km from the small Mexican settlement of Piste, located between two large cities of northern Yucatan - Cancun and Merida. You can independently reach the city of Chichen Itza by renting a car or using the bus (a ticket for it costs from 80 to 140 pesos, depending on the class). A taxi will cost you much more than public transport, since the distance from Cancun or Merida is not close, about 200 km and 120 km, respectively. The archaeological area is open to visitors daily, from 8:00 to 17:00. If you want to save money - take a trip to see the sights of the Mayans and Toltecs on Sunday, the entrance will be free.