Chichen Itza: description, history, excursions, exact address. Ancient city of Chichen Itza. History, interesting facts

At the end of the 16th century, Diego de Landa, while studying the history of Yucatan, came across the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza (which translates as “the mouth of the Itz well”) and was the first to describe it. Since that time, the ruins of the amazing ancient city of Chichen Itza have never ceased to excite the minds of archaeologists, researchers and historians.

The heyday of Chichen Itza occurred in the period around 600-1200, when the city, apparently, was the main religious and political center of the entire Yucatan. A large number of skillfully designed and decorated stone buildings have been preserved, these are: pyramid temples, palaces, observatories, baths and ball courts. Moreover, all structures were created using non-metallic tools. For unknown reasons, at the beginning of the 13th century, long before the city was destroyed, residents began to leave it, returning to the jungle advancing on the city.

The existence of Chichen Itza was known many centuries after the city was abandoned, but research was not carried out there until the late 1830s. The American scientist and writer D. Stevens, together with the British architect and designer F. Catherwood, visited South America several times in 1839–1842. While traveling, they visited many of the ancient cities and created two important works: “Notes on a Journey to Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan” (1841), “Notes on a Journey to Yucatan” (1843).

In 1875–1883 Antiquarian and photographer from France Auguste Le Plongeon and his wife Alice conducted the first excavations in Chichen Itza, taking several amazing stereo photographs of the Mayan Indians. But the conclusions to which Plongeon arrived were distorted by his firm conviction that South America is the ancestral home of all world civilizations.

In the following decades, numerous expeditions visited Chichen Itza. In the 1880s, Teoberto Maser, an Italian by birth, lived in Chichen Itza for three months and gave the most Full description ruins of the city than anyone before. 1889 - British colonial diplomat, explorer and archaeologist Alfred P. Maudslay visited Chichen Itza. He examined and photographed the ruins of the city.

His assistant, US Consul in Yucatan Edward H. Thompson, and his wife, a representative of the Mayan tribe, later settled in Chichen Itza. For 30 years they lived in the city, studying the ruins. At the Sacred Cenote (limestone drainage well), the researcher discovered objects made of copper, gold, jade, as well as human bones.

1924 - professional archaeologists from the Carnegie Institute at Harvard University began excavations at Chichen Itza. For 20 years, research was led by Silvanus J. Morley. Back in 1907, when Edward H. Thompson made his first trip to the ruins of the city, Morley visited him.

1961 - The Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History began systematically dredging the Sacred Cenote, during which 4 thousand artifacts were discovered.

Since 1993, an archaeological project organized by Mexicans to study the ancient city of Chichen Itza, led by Dr. Peter Schmidt, has been carried out. Under his leadership, excavations were carried out, research and measures were taken to preserve monuments. The scientists were faced with the following tasks: to create a map of the area under study, to examine pottery and to restore most of those structures whose excavations had previously been interrupted.

Story, Interesting Facts about the ancient city

The sacred ancient city of Chichen Itza is located in the jungle in the northwest of the Yucatan Peninsula, 75 miles southwest of the city of Merida. Answer to the question: for what reason did the Mayans founded their holy city in such a place, natural drainage wells, the so-called cenotes, are provided, so important in areas with a small number of underground rivers.

The Well of Death, or Sacred Cenote, the most famous of them, was used by the Mayans for ritual offerings to the rain god Chak. It is a known fact that during times of drought, even people were sacrificed to gain the favor of the gods.

Chichen Itza is believed to have been founded in 514 by the priest Lakin Chen, also known as Itzamna, and at its height there were more than a hundred buildings in the city. The ruins of Chichen Itza can be divided into two groups: the classical period of the history of the Maya Indians (250–900), dating from the 7th–10th centuries, and the Maya-Toltec period, the end of the 10th and beginning of the 13th centuries.

The Toltecs are also an indigenous people of America who came from Central Mexico. At the end of the 10th century they made Chichen Itza their capital. To this day it has not been established whether this was a seizure or some kind of agreement with the Mayans. It was during the Maya-Toltec period that the most impressive buildings were erected, the ruins of which have survived to this day.

The Mayans and Chichen Itza are often associated with the site's largest structure, the step pyramid of the Temple of Kukulcan, also known as El Castillo. The temple consists of two buildings: a large, majestic pyramid, erected over another structure, earlier and much smaller in size, and the whole is 180 feet in height.

There are 91 steps on each of the 4 sides of the pyramid, and together with the platform at the top of the structure they make up 365 steps, which corresponds to the number of days in a year. The assumption that the temple was used as a calendar is confirmed by 52 sections that symbolize the 52-year cycle of the Mayan calendar, and 18 terraces that correspond to the 18 months of the Mayan religious year.

In addition, the pyramid made it possible to accurately determine the onset of the equinox. Inside the first pyramid of the temple is a narrow staircase that leads to a secret chamber at the top of the structure. There, archaeologists discovered a throne carved from stone in the form of a figure of a growling jaguar, painted red, with spots on the skin made of jade, as well as a statue of a chak-mool (god of rain) - a stone altar made in the form of a seated man leaning back, holding a bowl or dish at stomach level.

It is assumed that the sculpture fulfilled the mission of a messenger to the gods. As a gift, incense was placed on the dish, and at times, human hearts were sacrificed to the gods. On the days of the spring or autumn equinox (March 21 or September 21), when sunlight reaches the steps of the northern part of the pyramid, a striking illusion arises: while the sun moves across the sky, the shadow of a snake slides up the pyramid.

West of El Castillo is the Temple of the Warriors (Templo de los Guerreros). It is a huge pyramidal building with flat top, once covered with a roof of wood and lime. The temple building is decorated with columns that have retained their original color to this day, on which bas-relief images of warriors are carved. The temple is surrounded by hundreds of pillars - the remains of a destroyed building known as the Group of a Thousand Pillars.

In the western part of the city is the Temple of the Jaguars, which received its name from the string of jaguars carved into the upper part of the facade of the building in the Maya-Toltec architectural style (circa 900-1100). In indoors The temple preserves amazing examples of wall paintings from Chichen Itza. One of them, for example, depicts an ancient battle between the Mayans and the Toltecs.

Adjacent to the Temple of the Jaguars is a ball court (Juego de Pelota) - one of 7 fields for the Mesoamerican ball game found in Chichen Itza. Exact size The site is 544 by 223 feet - the largest and best preserved field in Central America.

Until today, they have not been able to establish all the rules of the game, which the Mayans called pok-ta-pok, but it was more of a religious rather than entertaining nature. Researchers are unanimous in the opinion that in order for a team to get a point, one of the players had to throw a durable leather or rubber ball, without touching the hands and feet, into the opponent’s ring carved from stone, vertically located on the wall.

It was a dangerous game: supposedly, the captain of the winning or losing team (researchers don’t know for sure) at the end of the game was cut off his head and sacrificed to the gods. The size of the court at Chichen Itza is impressive, but still some scientists are confident that a ball game actually took place here. But the size of the field did not allow the player to throw the ball from one end of the court to the other, and given that the stone rings on the walls are located almost 20 feet above the ground, throwing the ball into the hole became a completely impossible task.

It was then assumed that the ball court was used as a ritual place where ceremonies were held, shaped like a real ball game. The walls of the court are decorated with images illustrating episodes of the ball game: scenes where players are dressed in heavy printed clothing, and the chilling decapitation of a player in front of both teams.

Many of the legends of the Mayan Indians (the book “Popol Vuh”) mention ball games, both in the world of the living and in the world of the dead, which once again proves the religious nature of the game. One legend tells of two heroic twins playing ball at the cost of their lives against the lords of the underworld, and another describes playing with a ball containing a severed head.

The human head was of particular importance in Mayan ritual, as evidenced by graphic depictions of the Tzompantli, or Wall of Skulls, a large stone platform 198 feet long and 40 feet wide in a T-shape located in the center of the city. This building was used as a base for wooden stakes, on which the severed heads of enemies and dead fellow tribesmen were put on public display.

The walls of the structure were covered with bas-reliefs depicting skulls, carved images of eagles, winged serpents and Mayan warriors carrying human heads. The Wall of Skulls may have been created to demonstrate the strength of the Mayans and was intended to terrify their enemies.

In the southern part of the city there is one of the most tall buildings- achievements of Mayan architecture at Chichen Itza. This is the observatory, or El Caracol, which translates from Spanish as “the snail.” The building received this name because of the internal spiral staircase, similar to a snail shell. The height of El Caracol is 74 feet. It consists of a tower built on top of a rectangular platform with numerous openings, which may have been used to observe the movements of stars and planets.

Today these are the ruins of a cylindrical structure. South of El Karakol there is a colossal Convent(Las Monjas) - 230 by 115 feet at the base and 59 feet in height. This building with magnificent ornaments was built over several centuries and was used as the city's government palace.

The chronicles of the Mayan Indians say that in 1221 the Mayans rebelled against the Maya-Toltec nobility and took power in Chichen Itza into their own hands. The destruction of the city is evidenced by traces of fire found by archaeologists in the Great Market and in the Temple of the Warriors. Then it started Civil War, and control of the Yucatan territory moved to Maya-pan, 30 miles southwest of Merida, which remained the main center of Mayan civilization until the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519.

After the change of power at the beginning of the 13th century, Chichen Itza fell into decay, and its inhabitants disappeared without a trace. When the Spaniards arrived here in 1517, they found only a city of ghosts. There is no trace left of the past greatness.

Houghton Brian

Worldwide interest in the heritage of the Mayan civilization does not fade. Numerous religious and cult mysteries, gloomy predictions and accurate calendars, gigantic ruined cities, among which the most famous is Chichen Itza, invariably attract crowds of tourists and curious people. The name itself Chichen Itza from the Mayan language it is translated as “well of the Mayan tribe”, due to the fact that there are 13 cenotes (natural wells) on the territory of the ancient city.

Chichen Itza: History of the City

Based on archaeological data and scraps of ancient chronicles, researchers concluded that the famous Mayan city was founded in the 5th-6th centuries AD. It immediately became the center of the Yucatan territory: political, religious, cultural. According to some data (all statements regarding Chichen Itza are not confirmed and are hypotheses that require evidence, which is almost impossible to find), the city was permanently inhabited by 20 to 30 thousand residents. Countless numbers of pilgrims and wanderers, traders and money changers visited this settlement every year. In the 10th century, the Mayans were conquered by the Taltecs, the city was partially sacked and abandoned by most of the population. But life did not leave him. The decline occurs in the 13th century after the birth of Christ. Buildings crumbled, people left Chichen Itza. Since the 15th century, herds of cattle have grazed in what was once a rich, prosperous and populous area.

For a long time, no one showed interest in the majestic and ominous ruins. From the middle of the 19th century, a passion for culture, astrology, and most importantly, the legendary riches of the Mayans began. Scattered but numerous excavations and studies began on the territory, artists and photographers from all over the world came to capture the bizarre buildings and mysterious temples.

In the 2nd half of the last century, the Mexican government decided to restore (as far as possible) the original appearance of Chichen Itza. This place has become a Mecca for tourists.

In 2007, the ancient city Chichen Itza Mexico included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Mayan city of Chichen Itza is named one of the 7 New Wonders of the World. Tuzha might have gotten in, but it wasn’t fate.

Chichen Itza, Mexico and the Artistic Value of the Ruins

The area of the city is about 6 km. sq. The surviving architectural complexes are numerous and, if you study them in detail, examining every relief and column, one day for a visit will not be enough. Unfortunately, excursions organized from Cancun are only one-day excursions. Stay overnight in Chichen Itza nowhere, and it’s creepy.

A professional guide will lead the group along paved roads, perfectly preserved over fifteen centuries, and show and tell about all the religious buildings of the city. The most significant and huge of them is pyramid of chichen itza called Kukulkan "The Feathered Serpent". The guide will entertain (and scare some) with legends about bloody sacrifices, cruelty and religious beliefs of the ancient tribe. The temple of warriors will amaze you with the realistic reliefs and sculptures; it’s easy to get lost in the group of “thousand columns”. The ball court will surprise you with the size of its territory and will give you goosebumps with images of severed heads.

The excursion includes a visit to the sacred cenote - a natural reservoir, the diameter of which is 60 m. The depth is almost the same. There is evidence that the Mayans threw girls and children, as well as numerous religious objects, into this “lake”, asking their deities for rain.

In the north of the Mexican Yucatan was once located largest center Mayan people - Chichen Itza. The city, roughly translated as “The Mouth of the Well of the Itza Tribe,” was founded in the 7th century AD. In the 10th century, the Toltec army captured this city-state and formed its capital here. In 1178, the city was captured by neighboring city-states, and from 1194 it fell into complete desolation. No one can now say what caused the residents to leave. The Spaniards who came here in the 16th century only came across the ruins of Chichen Itza.

Excavations carried out in our time on the site of this ancient city have made it possible to find many interesting architectural monuments from the culture of that time. One of the most famous was the Temple of Kukulkan, which is a 9-step pyramid. Another interesting structure is the Temple of Warriors on a 4-step pyramid, decorated with paintings. Stadiums for brutal ball games, a 50-meter well for sacrifices, a sacred cenote, and an observatory with statues of local gods were also discovered.

Ball ring at the stadium

Interestingly, the land with these structures was in private hands until 2010. But competent actions of the government allowed it to be returned to the state for $17.8 million. The ancient Mayan city is very popular among tourists. A monument of this scale, of course, was taken under the control of UNESCO. And in 2007, it was awarded the title of one of the new wonders of the world.

Temple of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza

The main interesting architectural buildings in Chichen Itza were built during the so-called Mexican period - the time after the Toltecs captured the city. At the same time, the main temple of the Mayan city was built - the Temple of Kukulkan. The temple was dedicated to the Toltec god Kukulkan, whom they called the Feathered Serpent.

The temple, due to its expressiveness and popularity, has become a symbol of all of Mexico. This 24-meter nine-step pyramid has been seen by every inhabitant of our planet at least once in his life.

The building has a square plan and a massive appearance. It is not surprising that the Spaniards who came here called it a castle. The temple is set on a huge terrace (18 hectares) along with many other famous structures of Chichen Itzi. On the right is the temple of the Warriors, on the left is the temple of the Jaguars.

Four staircases, oriented according to the cardinal directions, lead to the top of the temple. The stairs are accompanied by a balustrade starting from a snake's head. On the days of the equinox, the lighting creates an interesting effect: it seems as if the Kukulcan Serpent is beginning to crawl out of its lair.

Serpent Head

In addition to its orientation to the cardinal points, the temple is also distinguished by other astronomical details. Each staircase has 91 steps, which gives a total of 364. And if we add the upper platform to this number, we get the total number of days in the year - 365. The nine main steps of the pyramid are separated by a staircase, which actually doubles them to 18. With the number 18 is associated with the number of months in a year among the Mayans. Each wall depicts 52 reliefs - the number of years in the calendar cycle.

At the top of this large pyramid is the temple itself, with four entrances. The main entrance to the sanctuary is to the north. There are two columns depicting snakes. Inside there are two more pairs of the same. In ancient times, it was here that terrible human sacrifices were performed.

Temple of Kukulkan building

An interesting fact will be the presence of another nine-step pyramid of the same type in the main pyramid. The entrance to it was found relatively recently, and it was here that the symbol of Mayan power was hidden - the Jaguar Mat.

Jaguar Throne

The Jaguar Mat is the ruler's throne, carved from stone, resembling the shape of a jaguar. The throne is inlaid with 73 jade discs in the shape of jaguar spots. The eyes of the beast are filled with them. The first owners of the throne include Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, the founder of the Toltecs.

Temple of the Warriors at Chichen Itza

Another famous temple of the city of Chichen Itza is located to the right of the Kukulkan pyramid. The Temple of the Warriors is also located on the pyramid, the approaches to which are guarded by a detachment of patterned columns.

This structure completely copies the Temple of Quetzalcoatl in Tollan. The Toltec leader Topiltzin Quetzalcoatla, before uniting the tribes and carrying out major conquests, lost this city. So that in a new place a lot will remind him of former glory, and a copy of this temple was built.

In front of the temple staircase there are 60 patterned columns, 2.6 meters high, arranged in four rows. Previously, there was a roof on these columns, of which now, alas, nothing remains. Everywhere in the temple there are images of warriors - hence its name. Just like in all Toltec temples, human sacrifices were made here.

The pyramid of this temple is smaller - only 11.5 meters and consists of five steps. The balustrades of the central staircase are decorated with stone male figures. The top is decorated with the temple itself, which consists of two rooms - the front hall and the sanctuary itself. The entrance to the sanctuary is decorated with the already familiar columns with snakes. The sanctuary contains an altar for sacrifices, supported by human figures. Nearby stands the idol of the demon Chak-Mool, holding a dish on which the priests threw people's hearts. There are not so cruel assumptions from researchers about this idol. Some also believe that the dish is used for offerings in the form of intoxicating drinks, and that the idol itself is the god of rain or the guardian of the temple.

Chac Mool

Inside the temple, everything is outwardly calmer and does not remind of the cruel past. There are many sculptures and frescoes here, with familiar images of snakes, jaguars, and eagles. The warriors on the temple reliefs depict typical Indians of that time. They move in a march or stand majestically in place. The murals depict the history of the Toltec conquest of the Mayans, as well as the peaceful life of the inhabitants of the place. The Temple of the Warriors is undoubtedly one of the most interesting structures for studying the Maya-Toltec culture.

And although after the defeat the city fell into decay, the beginnings of a great civilization retained their cultural heritage and passed it on to descendants. Chichen Itza in Mexico is truly one of the most unique places on our planet.

Video about Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza on the map

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Translated from the language of local tribes " Chichen Itza" means "Mouth of the Well of the Itza Tribe" or "Mouth of the Well of the Water Sorcerers." Chichen Itza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the El Castillo (Kukulcan) pyramid located here has been declared one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Chichen Itza is the most famous and at the same time the best preserved ancient city of Yucatan.

In Mexico legendary city is the second most visited by tourists among ancient attractions. It is estimated that more than a million people devote it every year. The largest influx of tourists is observed twice a year, on the days of the spring (March 21-22) and autumn equinox (September 21-22). These days there is a play of light and shadow, when during sunset the shadow from the corner of the stepped terraces of the El Castillo pyramid creates the illusion of a crawling serpent. These days, so many people gather in Chichen Itza that it is unlikely that you will be able to clearly see the play of light and shadow. A week before and a week after these dates, the effect of light and shadow remains almost the same.

At the same time, recently, due to the enormous attendance of Chichen Itza, many note that the ancient city has turned into such a tourist and commercialized center that during its visit there is no opportunity to feel the magic ancient culture due to the crowds of tourists and souvenir sellers located in the complex. Chichen Itza became most famous in the world in 2012, when, according to the Mayan calendar, the end of the world was supposed to occur on December 21. Great amount people from different countries rushed to Mexico to Chichen Itza to celebrate the significant date. Some television companies broadcast live from the scene. The cost of one night in some hotels located near the archaeological complex reached several thousand dollars. To find Chichen Itza without crowds of tourists, it is better to arrive at the opening of the complex at 8 am, when tour groups have not yet arrived.

Chichen Itza map

The lands on which Chichen Itza is located came into public ownership on March 30, 2010. On this day, the deal was completed, after negotiations between Governor Yvonne Ortega Pacheco and landowner Hans Jurgen Thies Barbacciano, on the purchase of a plot of land with an area of 83 hectares on which the ancient city is located, for $17.8 million. It was reported that the landowner himself insisted on the sale, so that preserve the heritage of Yucatan.

Story

It is not possible to completely reliably describe the history of Chichen Itza, since the policy of the Spanish conquerors included the destruction of manuscripts and the murder of Mayan priests. It is believed that people developed this place in the 4th century, and in the 7th century the first buildings began to be built and an urban community appeared. From the 7th to the 10th centuries the Mayans lived here. In the 10th century, it was captured by the Toltecs, who did not destroy the city, but absorbed part of its culture into themselves. It was during the reign of the Toltecs that Chichen Itza became the most powerful city on the Yucatan Peninsula. In the mid-11th century, Chichen Itza became the capital of the Toltec state. In 1178, the city was captured by the united army of three city-states - Mayapan, Uxmal and Itzmal, led by Hunak Keel. After 1194, the city was completely deserted for unknown reasons and overgrown with jungle.
Archaeologists rediscovered the mysterious city to the world in 1920. The ancient structures were cleared and reconstructed, and the archaeological complex began to attract tourists.

Chichen Itza attractions

Unfortunately, since the beginning of 2006, climbing ancient structures has been prohibited, with the exception of a few specially designated places.
Pyramid of El Castillo (Pyramid of Kukulcan)

The main attraction of Chichen Itza is the El Castillo pyramid and for good reason. When Chichen Itza was captured by the Toltecs, they combined their knowledge of cosmology with that of the Mayans, resulting in El Costillo. The pyramid is dedicated to Kukulkan, the god of wind and rain in the form of a feathered serpent with a human head. Built a thousand years ago, El Castillo is the main symbol of Chichen Itza and perhaps the entire Yucatan. It is one of Mexico's most famous and visited structures in pre-Columbian America. In 2007, the monument was included in the list of the new seven wonders of the world.
The architecture of the 24-meter pyramid is filled with symbolism connected with the cosmology and calendar of the ancient Indians. The four staircases leading to the top and central platform have 91 steps each, giving a total of 364. This corresponds to the number of days in a year. There are 18 terraces on each side of the pyramid (9 on each side of the steps), which is equal to the number of months in the Mayan calendar. The Mayan calendar consisted of two cycles: the 365-day Shiupohualli and the 260-day Tonalpohualli. These two cycles coincided every 52 years. There are 52 stone bas-reliefs on each of the four sides of the pyramid. Which represent the coincidence of these cycles once every 52 years.

Juego de Pelita ball court

There are a total of nine ball courts in Chichen Itza. The main and largest of them is Juego de Pelita. This is the largest and best preserved Indian ball court in all of Mesoamerica. Its length is 168 meters and its width is 70 meters. The site has a unique acoustic effect; if you speak at one end of the site, you can hear everything at the other. If you clap your hands, the clap will echo, which some compare to the cry of a bird. It is believed that the Indians accidentally achieved this effect during construction, but when they discovered it, they brought it to perfection.
How the Mayans, Toltecs and Aztecs played ball
Exactly how the ball was played and what the rules were is not reliably known, but most historians agree that the shadberry looked like this.

The game was played with a rubber ball (in some cases claimed to be a human head), which could only be touched by knees, elbows and a carved bat. The ball had to be thrown into one of the rings, which were located on the left and right walls, one on each side. The diameter of the hole in the ring was slightly larger than the size of the ball. The field was divided in half and the players of each team had to be in their own half of the field. The team that hit the ring with the ball won, and each hit on the ring itself was counted as a penalty point. Since it was extremely difficult to get into the hoop, the game could last for hours, and sometimes the result was determined by the number of penalty points, since not one of the teams managed to get the ball into the hoop. At the end of the game, the captain of the winning team would cut off the head of the captain of the losing team, and sometimes the heads of the entire losing team would be cut off. Sometimes the game had a ritual significance, in order for the priests to make a certain decision.
To the right of the ball field is the Temple of Skulls (Tzompantli). The name comes from the image of skulls carved on a stone platform. Near this temple, severed heads were impaled on a pole in a row.

Temple of the Warriors (Templo de los Guerreros)

The Temple of the Warriors is a five-step pyramid, 11.5 meters high, on top of which is the temple building. It consists of a front hall and a sanctuary, the entrance to which is decorated with a portal with writhing snakes carved from stone. The sanctuary contains a low stone altar in the form of a table supported by small human figures. On the open area of the sanctuary stands a stone idol of the demon Chak-Mool in the form of a reclining man with a tray on his stomach for sacrifice. It is believed that most often a heart was placed in it. The Temple of Warriors itself is surrounded on three sides by columns made in the shape of warriors, hence the name of the temple.

El Caracol Observatory

El Caracol is the largest discovered ancient astronomical complex on the Yucatan Peninsula. From the observatory, the Indians observed celestial objects, calculated spring and autumn days the equinox, the summer solstice, and it is likely that this is where their predictions were made. Observations were carried out through special holes made in the round vault of the observatory. The round vault of the observatory was rebuilt several times during the operation of the observatory.
The observatory was named El Caracol, as the Spanish word for snail is associated with the spiral staircase inside El Caracol.

Sacred Cenote
The Yucatan Peninsula is a limestone plain without rivers or streams. The only source fresh water there were cenotes in which underground waters came to the surface. Cenotes are karst formations - lakes, wells, and sometimes entire cave complexes with underground rivers and sometimes access to the sea.
But the Indians did not always use cenotes to obtain water; in some cases they played a ritual role. Donations were thrown here and human sacrifices were performed in them. It was believed that the cenote was a kind of portal through which one could get to God. After certain ceremonies, the priests sent the “chosen ones” to meet God, and more often they were undesirable people and watched the victim for a long time so that she would not be on the surface of the water, helping her go to God with the help of stones. Taking into account the fact that there was a considerable distance from the surface of the water to the ground and that the priests were closely watching to ensure that their fellow tribesman would definitely get to God for a long time, it was practically impossible to get out of the cenote. The only known Indian who somehow got out of the Sacred Cenote is considered to be Hunak Keel. Subsequently, under his leadership in 1178, Chichen Itza was captured. The sacred cenote of Chichen Itza is located 5-10 minutes walk from El Castillo. Harvard University professor and American consul in Merida, Herbert Thompson explored the Sacred Cenote from 1904 to 1910 and recovered many ancient artifacts from gold, jade, ceramics, rubber, obsidian, as well as human remains. Subsequently, most of the discovered treasures ended up in the Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology at Harvard University.
Some excursion tours do not include a visit to the Sacred Cenote.

Osario
Osario means cemetery in Spanish. Osario at Chichen Itza is not a large step pyramid with a temple on top. Like El Castillo, it has four sides with stairs on each side. But unlike El Castillo, Osario has a hole in the center that leads to a cave 12 meters deep below ground level. This cave was excavated by Herbert Thompson in the 19th century and found several artifacts and skeletons in it. Thompson called the pyramid the Tomb of the High Priest (Tumba del Gran Sacerdote), since then it has had two names.

Chichen Itza hotels

For serious lovers historical monuments It is recommended to avoid a day visit to Chichen Itza and spend at least one night at a nearby hotel. This needs to be done for two reasons: firstly, you will have the opportunity to visit the archaeological complex in the morning, when there are no tourist groups yet, and secondly, you will be able to watch the sound and light shows that take place in the evenings.
In the vicinity of Chichen Itza there are a number of hotels of different price categories. Chichen Itza search for cheap hotels

Chichen Itza how to get there

Chichen Itza is a popular tourist complex; getting to it is not difficult. This can be done either independently or as part of tourist group. Usually when excursion tour Chichen Itza also includes visits to several attractions, for example: Cenote Ik-Kil and the city of Valladolid.
There are pros and cons to visiting Chichen Itza as part of a tour group. The advantages are that as part of a tourist group, you will visit several places at once and all this will most likely cost you less if you traveled on your own by ADO bus, bought a ticket to the archaeological complex and possibly hired a guide. The main disadvantage when visiting as part of a tour group is that you will be visiting Chichen Itza along with a bunch of other tourists and the time for viewing will be strictly regulated. There will also be no opportunity to attend the evening sound and light show.
How to get to Chichen Itza on your own
From Cancun by ADO bus, travel time is approx. three hours price 236 pesos (about $20) one way.
From Playa del Carmen by ADO bus, travel time is about four hours, price is 316 pesos one way.
From Merida by ADO bus, travel time is about an hour and a half, price is 142 pesos one way.
Fares may change, so it is better to check them on the company’s website http://www.ado.com.mx.

Chichen Itza travel photo

Entrance to the archaeological site of Chichen Itza.

Near the entrance to the complex there are Mexicans dressed in the likeness of Mayan Indians, with whom you can take pictures.

The main attraction of Chichen Itza, the El Costillo pyramid, is also called the Pyramid of Kukulkan, as it was built in honor of Kukulkan, the god of wind and rain in the form of a feathered serpent with a human head.

The head of a snake against the background of the El Costillo pyramid.

Stairs leading to the top of the El Costillo pyramid. Direct access and the ability to climb the pyramid were closed in 2006.

Pyramid of El Costillo.

The head of a feathered serpent and the pyramid of El Costillo.

The main ball court in Chichen Itza (Juego de Pelota), there are nine of them in the city. It is the largest and best preserved ball court in all of Mesoamerica.

A ring into which the players had to score the ball.

El Caracol Observatory

The Spanish word El Caracol means spiral staircase. Inside the observatory there is a spiral staircase.

Temple of the Warriors (Templo de los Guerreros)

Chichen Itza is a very tourist place and taking a photo in front of the El Castillo pyramid without tourists is very problematic. And even at the moment of closing I was not able to do this.

Many sellers working on the territory of Chichen Itza come to work with their children.

The archaeological complex of Chichen Itza is very commercialized today. On its territory and also nearby there are many sellers of souvenirs, ponchos, sambreros, etc.

Chichen Itza is the most famous ancient city in Yucatan. Object status World Heritage UNESCO and inclusion in the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World caused a surge of interest among tourists, and now this complex is the second most visited place archaeological excavations in Mexico. An estimated 1.2 million tourists visit the ruins every year. Despite the massive influx of visitors, Chichen Itza continues to impress even the most jaded tourists. A walk among stone temples, pyramids, and ball fields gives you the opportunity to truly feel the grandeur of the ancient city.

The legendary ruins of Chichen Itza are among the best preserved archaeological sites in Mexico. Despite this, much of what is written and said about this city is based on guesses and assumptions. We can say with one hundred percent confidence that people occupied this place in the 4th century; the urban community emerged with the construction of the first temple in the 7th century; the city came under Toltec rule in the 10th century.

In subsequent centuries, Chichen Itza reached the pinnacle of prosperity and became the most powerful city on the Yucatan Peninsula. Most of grandiose buildings were built during this period.

At the end of the 12th century, the city lost political power, gradually began to decline and was abandoned. The inhabitants of Chichen Itza left behind an impressive architectural and scientific legacy, but left no known record of why they left their homes. The built monuments began to gradually collapse and became overgrown with jungle, but archaeologists rediscovered them to the world in the 1920s. The ancient buildings were cleaned and reconstructed, and the archaeological complex began to attract tourists.

Chichen Itza consists of two parts: the central (new) zone and the southern (old) zone. The most important structures are located in the new zone.

El Castillo

When the Toltecs came to Chichen Itza, they combined their knowledge of cosmology with the Mayans, resulting in the Pyramid of El Castillo (also called the Pyramid of Kukulcan). Dedicated to Kukulcan, the god of wind and rain in the form of a feathered serpent with a human head, El Castillo is one of the most famous and visited pre-Columbian structures in modern Mexico. Built a thousand years ago using the simplest tools, El Castillo is considered the most important symbol of Chichen Itza. In 2007, the monument was included in the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

The architecture of El Castillo is filled with symbolism. Many secrets of the Mayan astronomical calendar become clear when you delve into the essence of the architecture of the Temple of Time. The four staircases leading to the central platform have 91 steps each, for a total of 364, corresponding to the number of days in a year. The platform at the top of the temple combines 4 staircases together, resulting in the number 365, which corresponds to the number of days in a leap year. There are 18 terraces on each side of the pyramid (9 on each side of the steps), which is equal to the number of months in the Mayan solar calendar.

The Mayan calendar consisted of two parallel cycles: the civil 365-day shiupoualli and the ritual 260-day tonalpohualli. Shiupoualli and Tonalpohualli coincided every 52 years.

There are 52 stone reliefs on each of the four sides of the El Castillo pyramid. They represent the coincidence of these two cycles once every 52 years.

The El Castillo pyramid attracts especially many visitors during the autumn and spring equinoxes. During sunset, the shadow from the corner of the stepped terraces of the pyramid falls on the balustrade of the steps on the north side (see photo). It seems that the Feathered Serpent is slowly descending to the ground. The illusion is almost as noticeable a week before and after the spring and autumn equinoxes.
The Mayans often built new pyramid temples on top of previous ones. After several unsuccessful attempts, archaeologists managed to discover a tunnel leading to the premises of an earlier temple. Here they discovered the figure of Chak-Mool and a throne in the shape of a jaguar.

Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which manages the archaeological site of Chichen Itza, banned climbing El Castillo in 2006. At the same time, public access to the inner hall was closed for more than ancient temple. Visitors can still walk around the monument, but climbing up or going inside is prohibited.

Main ball court

Chichen Itza has nine ball game courts. The largest of them, Juego de Pelota (pictured), is located northwest of El Castillo. It is the largest and best preserved ball court of any similar field in Mesoamerica (168 m long, 70 m wide). During the game, players attempted to throw a heavy rubber ball into a stone hoop set high in the wall. The acoustics of the ball field are so good that a conversation on one side can be clearly heard on the opposite end.

The games were colorful spectacles, and participation in them ended in sacrifice for some of its participants. An interesting detail: the researchers are not sure whether the players of the losing team were sacrificed. On the wall of the ball court there is an image of a headless player on his knees, blood flowing from his neck and turning into snakes, another player holding his head in his hands. Other images on the walls show players' equipment.

To the right of the ball field is the Tzompantli (Temple of Skulls). The name comes from the images of a row of skulls carved on a stone platform. When the victim was beheaded, the head was impaled on a pole and displayed in a row, one after the other.

Temple of Warriors

East of El Castillo is another famous building Chichen Itza: Templo de los Guerreros (Temple of the Warriors). The temple consists of four platforms, surrounded on three sides by round and square columns. The square columns are carved in the shape of Toltec warriors, hence the name Temple of the Warriors. During the recent restoration, some of the columns were restored and placed in their original place. At the top of the Temple of Warriors there is a sculpture of Chaak-Mool in the form of a reclining man; the meaning of this figure is unknown to researchers.

The Yucatan Peninsula is a limestone plain without rivers or streams. The only source of fresh water were cenotes (sinkholes or wells), in which groundwater came to the surface. Cenotes are scattered throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, but the Sacred Cenote of Chichen Itza (Cenote Sagrado) was the most important to the Mayans. It is a 5-7 minute walk from El Castillo.
The sacred cenote was used for ceremonial purposes: offerings were thrown here and human sacrifices were performed. It was believed that the god of lightning, water and rain Chak lives at the bottom of the Sacred Cenote, in order to appease him, a person was deprived of life.
Harvard University professor and American Consul in Merida (Merida is the administrative center of the Yucatan) Herbert Thompson explored the Sacred Cenote from 1904 to 1910 and recovered from there numerous objects of gold, jade, ceramics, obsidian, rubber and remains human bodies. Most of the discovered treasures ended up in the Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology (a museum at Harvard University). None of the objects discovered were made from materials mined in the Yucatan, meaning the Mayans traveled to Chichen Itza from other places in Central America for worship and sacrifice.

Cenote Ik Kil is located less than 3 km from Chichen Itza. The cenote looks unusually spectacular, tropical vegetation and tree roots stretch from above to the very surface of the water. Tours to Chichen Itza often include a visit to Ik Kil. These tours are the main source of income for the Ik Kil Archaeological Park. A staircase leading down to the bathing platform is carved into the karst rock. The cenote is open for swimming from 08:00 am to 18:00 pm every day. It is best to swim before 11:30, before the influx of tourists. Tourists have a cottage, a restaurant, a souvenir shop, and changing rooms at their disposal.

In 2010 and 2011, Ik Kil hosted the next stage of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series - a series of acrobatic diving competitions that gained wide popularity around the world thanks to the spectacular diving sites and the skill of the participants.

Balancancha Cave

Balankanché Cave is located 5.5 km from Chichen Itza on the road to Cancun. The entire excursion takes about half an hour. A small underground river flows in the middle of the cave, but its main attraction is the column in the center, reminiscent of a large tree. Outside you can wander around botanical garden and look at plants that are exotic to us.

Chichen Itza – useful information

The territory of the archaeological complex is oversaturated with small commerce; many sellers attract the attention of visitors with the words “only 1 dollar” or “only 1 peso”. Please note that this is not the cost of the items they sell. As soon as you want to buy something for “only 1 dollar”, they will popularly explain to you that the discount is 1 dollar or 1 pesos and they will start bargaining further. Feel free to leave, they will follow you and offer to commit bargain purchase. This is Mexico, this is par for the course here.

The inclusion of Chichen Itza among the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 caused a surge of interest and now the archaeological complex is literally flooded with tourists. To better appreciate the magic of the ancient city, you need to arrive at the opening time at 8 am. Then you will have about 3 hours before the massive influx of tourists from Cancun begins.

Especially many tourists visit Chichen Itza on the days of the spring and autumn equinox, in order to see the shadow of the “living serpent” on the El Castillo pyramid in the afternoon. This illusion is almost as visible a week before and after the spring and autumn equinoxes, but there are noticeably fewer tourists.

Carry cash in pesos, as changing currency here is quite problematic, especially on weekends.

Light and sound show. After visiting the ruins during the day, you can return back and with the same tickets attend the night Light and Sound Show. The show lasts about an hour and is accompanied by a story about the history of the ancient city. The story is in Spanish, but for an additional fee you can listen to the translation using headphones. Another option is to arrive at the complex in the afternoon, see the Light and Sound Show, and visit the ruins the next day - visiting the archaeological complex on the first evening gives a discount for the next day, so the price of visiting will be almost the same.

Most tourists visit Chichen Itza from Cancun, a popular Mexican resort (2.5 hours drive), and Merida, the capital of Yucatan (1.5 hours drive). It is advisable to avoid a day visit to Chichen Itza and plan to spend one night here at a nearby hotel. If you stay overnight, you will have the opportunity to watch the Sound and Light Show in the evening, and visit the archaeological complex in the morning, when it is not so hot and there are practically no tourists. Chichen Itza is a huge archaeological complex. If you use one day excursion from Cancun, the allotted time will clearly not be enough to truly appreciate this place.

At the entrance to the territory of the archaeological complex there is a museum, a restaurant, a bookstore, and English- and Spanish-speaking guides are available to tourists.

Video about Chichen Itza