The pyramids of the city of Chichen Itza in Mexico are a new wonder of the world from the Maya. Chichen Itza, Mexico: heritage of the ancient Maya and Toltecs. Detailed guide Where is the ancient city of Chichen Itza country
Translated from the language of local tribes " Chichen Itza” means “The mouth of the well of the Itza tribe” or “The mouth of the well of the sorcerers of water.” Chichen Itza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Pyramid of El Castillo (Kukulkan) 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 Yucatan.
In Mexico, the legendary city is the second most visited by tourists among the ancient sites. It is estimated that more than a million people devote it every year. The most numerous influx of tourists is celebrated 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 at sunset the shadow from the corner of the stepped terraces of the pyramid of El Castillo creates the illusion of a crawling snake. 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.
However, recently, due to the huge attendance of Chichen Itza, many note that the ancient city has become such a tourist and commercialized center that during its visit there is no way to feel the magic of ancient culture due to crowds of tourists and sellers souvenirs located on the territory of the complex. Chichen Itza was most famous in the world in 2012, when, according to the Mayan calendar, on December 21, the end of the world was supposed to come. A huge number of people from different countries rushed to Mexico in Chichen Itza to meet a significant date. Some TV companies broadcast live from the scene. The cost of one night in some hotels located near the archaeological complex reached several thousand dollars. In order to catch Chichen Itza without crowds of tourists, it is better to come to the opening of the complex by 8 in the morning, when the tour groups have not yet arrived.
Chichen Itza map
The land on which Chichen Itza is located was transferred to state ownership on March 30, 2010. On this day, the deal was completed, after negotiations between Governor Yvonne Ortega Pacheco and landowner Hans Jurgen Thies Barbachano, to purchase the 83-hectare land on which the ancient city is located, for $ 17.8 million. It was reported that the landowner himself insisted on selling, in order to preserve the legacy of the 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 settled this place in the 4th century, and in the 7th century the first buildings began to be built and an urban community appeared. Maya Indians lived here from the 7th to the 10th century. 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 middle of the 11th century, Chichen Itza became the capital of the Toltec state. In 1178, the city was captured by the combined army of three city-states - Mayapan, Ushmal and Itzmal, led by Hunak Keel. After 1194, the city was completely deserted for unknown reasons and overgrown with jungle.
The mysterious city was rediscovered by archaeologists 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 the ancient structures is prohibited, with the exception of a few specially marked places.
Pyramid of El Castillo (Pyramid of Kukulkan)
The main attraction of Chichen Itza is the pyramid of El Castillo and this is no accident. When Chichen Itza was conquered by the Toltecs, they combined their knowledge of cosmology with that of the Maya, 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 possibly the entire Yucatan. This is one of the most famous and visited structures in Mexico in pre-Columbian America. In 2007, the monument was included in the list of new seven wonders of the world.
The architecture of the 24 meter pyramid is filled with symbolism connected with cosmology and the calendar of the ancient Indians. The four stairs leading to the top and the central platform have 91 steps each, which gives 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 Maya calendar consisted of two cycles: 365 day Xiupoually and 260 day Tonalpoualli. These two cycles coincided every 52 years. On each of the four sides of the pyramid are 52 stone bas-reliefs. Which personify the coincidence of these cycles every 52 years.
Juego de Pelita ball court
In total, there are nine ball courts in Chichen Itza. The main and largest of them is the Juego de Pelita. It is the largest and best preserved Indian ball court in all of Mesoamerica. It is 168 meters long and 70 meters wide. The site has a unique acoustic effect, if you speak at one end of the site, then everything will be heard 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 such an effect during construction, but when they discovered it, they brought it to perfection.
How the Mayans, Toltecs and Aztecs played ball
How exactly the ball was played and what the rules were is not known for certain, but most historians agree that the game looked like this.
The game was played with a rubber ball (in some cases it is said 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 that were on the left and right walls, one on each side. The diameter of the hole of 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 each 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 ring, 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 score the ball into the ring. 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 meaning in order for the priests to make a certain decision.
To the right of the ball court is the Temple of the Skulls (Tzompantli). The name comes from the image of skulls carved on a stone platform. Near this temple, severed heads were planted on a pole in a row.
Temple of the Warriors
The temple of warriors is a five-step pyramid, 11.5 meters high, on top of which there is a temple building. It consists of a front hall and a sanctuary, the entrance to which is decorated with a portal carved from stone, writhing snakes. The sanctuary contains a low stone altar in the form of a table supported by small human figures. In 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 sacrifices. It is believed that most often they put a heart in it. The Temple of Warriors itself is surrounded on three sides by columns made in the form of warriors, hence the name of the temple.
El Caracol Observatory
El Caracol is the largest discovered ancient astronomical complex in the Yucatan Peninsula. From the observatory, the Indians observed celestial objects, calculated the spring and autumn days of the equinox, the day of the summer solstice, and it is likely that it was here that they created their predictions. Observations were carried out through special holes made in the round vault of the observatory. The round arch of the observatory was rebuilt several times during the operation of the observatory.
The observatory was named El Caracol, as the Spanish word means snail, which 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 of fresh water was the cenotes, in which groundwater 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 get water, in some cases they played a ritual role. Donations were thrown here and human sacrifices were made in them. It was believed that the cenote is a kind of portal through which you can get to God. The priests, after certain ceremonies, sent the “chosen ones” to meet with God, and more often they were not pleasing people and for a long time watched the victim, 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 not a small distance from the surface of the water to the ground and the fact that the priests were closely monitoring that their tribesman would definitely get to God for a long time, it was almost impossible to get out of the cenote. The only known Indian who somehow got out of the Sacred Cenote is Hunak Keel. Subsequently, under his leadership in 1178, Chichen Itza was captured. Sacred cenote of Chichen Itza, located 5-10 minutes walk from El Castillo. Professor at Harvard University 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 tours do not include a visit to the Sacred Cenote.
Osario (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 faces with stairs on each side. But unlike El Castillo in Osario, there is a hole in the center that leads to a cave, 12 meters deep below ground level. Herbert Thompson excavated this cave 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 of historical monuments, it is recommended to avoid a one-day visit to Chichen Itza and spend at least one night in a nearby hotel. This must 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, 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 both independently and as part of a tourist group. Usually, with a sightseeing tour to Chichen Itza, visits to several more attractions are included, for example, these can be: Cenote Ik-Kil and the city of Valladolid.
When visiting Chichen Itza as part of a tourist group, there are pros and cons. The pros 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 travel by yourself on the ADO bus, buy a ticket to the archaeological complex and possibly hire 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 visiting will be strictly regulated. There will also be no opportunity to visit the evening show of sound and light.
How to get to Chichen Itza on your own
From Cancun, the ADO bus takes about three hours and costs 236 pesos (about $20) one way.
From Playa del Carmen on the ADO bus, the journey takes about four hours and costs 316 pesos one way.
From Merida on the ADO bus, the journey takes about an hour and a half, the price is 142 pesos one way.
Fare prices 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 complex of Chichen Itza.
Near the entrance to the complex are Mexicans dressed in the likeness of the Mayan Indians, with whom you can take pictures.
The main attraction of Chichen Itza, the pyramid of El Costillo, it 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.
Serpent's head against the backdrop of the pyramid of El Costillo.
Stairs leading to the top of the El Costillo pyramid. Direct access and the opportunity to climb the pyramid were closed in 2006.
Pyramid of El Costillo.
Pyramid of El Costillo.
Pyramid of El Costillo.
Pyramid of El Costillo.
The head of the 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.
The ring into which the players were supposed to score the ball.
El Caracol Observatory
The Spanish word El Caracol means a spiral staircase. Inside the observatory is a spiral staircase.
Temple of the Warriors
Chichen Itza is a very touristy place and taking a picture against the backdrop of the El Castillo pyramid without tourists is very problematic. And even at the time of the closure, I could not do it.
Many sellers working in the territory of Chichen Itza come to work with their kids.
The archaeological complex of Chichen Itza is today very commercialized. On its territory, as well as nearby, there are many sellers of souvenirs, ponchos, sambrero, etc.
Chichen Itza is an ancient Mayan city located in the northern Yucatan, 120 km east of Merida and 185 km west of Cancun. The city was founded, it is believed, in the 5th-6th centuries and was one of the largest Mayan cities. The heyday of the city fell on the VIII-IX centuries.
The name of the city is translated from the Mayan language as "The mouth of the well of the Itza tribe" ("chi" in the Mayan language means the mouth, "chen" - the well, "itza" - the name of the Mayan tribe or group, which, according to legend, first appeared on this earth) . This is due to the fact that the city has two large sources of clean water - natural karst wells that do not dry out throughout the year, which is very important for the inhabitants of the arid Yucatan.
Chichen Itza became the capital and most significant political and ceremonial center of the Maya in the Yucatan Peninsula in the eighth century. In the 10th century, the Toltec army captured this city-state and established its capital here. In 1178, the city was captured by neighboring city-states, and since 1194 it has been completely abandoned. No one can now say what caused the residents to leave. The Spaniards who came here in the 16th century stumbled only on the ruins of Chichen Itza.
Now on the territory of the city there are many buildings, in particular, the famous pyramids of Chichen Itza. The most prominent among them is the pyramid of Kukulkan (El Castillo). Kukulkan is one of the supreme deities in Mayan mythology. He was considered the god of wind and water, fire and air, the founder of royal dynasties and large cities. The Maya believed that Kukulkan taught them how to fish, invented writing and a calendar for them, and invented ceremonies. In the end, the cult of Kukulkan became a kind of cult of the nobility, only noble youths were sacrificed to Kukulkan, and in an extremely solemn atmosphere.
The main incarnation of Kukulkan was a feathered serpent, he was also depicted as an eagle, a jaguar, in the form of blood, as a snail shell and finally as a flute made of bones. The Pyramid of Kukulkan is located in the center of a terrace of about 18 hectares and is surrounded by a wide stone parapet. Its height is 24 meters and 6 meters - the height of the temple on the top, where sacrifices were made to Kukulkan. The length of each of its sides is 55 meters, each side of the temple has 9 steps. Leading from all four sides from the base to the top of the pyramid are four steep stairs, oriented to the cardinal points. Fringing the stairs is a stone balustrade, which begins at the bottom with the head of a snake and continues in the form of a curving snake body to the top of the pyramid.
Each of the four stairs of the temple has 91 steps, and their total number is 364. Together with the platform at the top of the pyramid, which unites all four stairs, the number 365 is obtained - the number of days in a leap year. The number of sections on each side of the temple is also symbolic (9 steps of the pyramid are cut in two by a staircase) - 18, which corresponds to the number of months in the Mayan calendar year. The nine ledges of the temple correspond to the nine levels of the underworld.
The Maya calendar consisted of two parallel cycles: the ritual period of the Tzolkiin (Tzolkiin) of 260 days and the civil 365-day period of the Haab, which underlay the agricultural work and daily life of the Indians. The Maya combined the two calendars into a so-called "calendar circle". Thus, any date was composed of elements of both calendars. Dates in the "calendar circle" were repeated only after 52 years. 52 stone reliefs located on each wall of the sanctuary symbolize one calendar circle.
Every year, on the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes, one can observe the unique spectacle of the Feathered Serpent. During sunset, the shadow from the corner of the stepped terraces of the pyramid falls on the stones of the balustrade. At the same time, it seems that the Feathered Serpent comes to life and crawls, in March - up, and in September - down.
The acoustics of the temple are so perfect that from its top you can speak in a calm voice that will be heard throughout the area. The sound of footsteps on the outer stairs of the pyramid is transformed inside it into the sounds of falling raindrops. If you clap your hands at a certain distance from the pyramid, the echo answers with the voice of the quetzal bird, sacred to the Maya. The sacred bird quetzal represented the spirit of the Maya, and the echo is the voice of the spirits. It is believed that this is why the echo of the spirit of the temple of Kukulkan speaks with the voice of quetzal.
To the right of the Kakulkan pyramid is the Temple of the Warriors, located on a five-step pyramid 11.5 m high with one staircase. The staircase is framed by balustrades, at the top of which, on the upper platform of the pyramid, male figures carved from stone stand and sit. In ancient times, during festivities and solemn ceremonies, banners were inserted into their hands.
In front of the entrance to the sanctuary there is a sculpture of Chak-Mool depicting a reclining man with his head held high, turned to the side and holding a dish on his stomach in his hands. Until the end, the purpose of Chak-Mool is not clear. It is assumed that this was a sacrificial altar for collecting donations and offering gifts to the gods, perhaps even in the form of human hearts.
In front of the stairs leading to the top of the pyramid to the sanctuary, there are four rows of 60 carved columns, 2.6 meters high, on which images of jubilant Toltec warriors are carved, and none of the reliefs repeats the other. Initially, these columns supported a massive roof, but now there is no trace of it left. The name of the Temple of Warriors was given by numerous reliefs and paintings inside and outside the temple. This temple served as a place of traditional human sacrifices.
Another famous attraction of Chichen Itza is the El Caracol Observatory (Spanish: El Caracol, translated as “Snail Shell”), so named because of the internal spiral staircase leading to the upper dome. El Caracol was built before 904 AD, at the height of the Maya civilization. Square windows in the cylindrical tower are directed to the points of sunrise and sunset on the days of the winter and summer solstices, spring and autumn equinoxes.
Astronomers believe that the observatory at Chichen Itza was built to monitor the activity of Venus, which was of particular importance to the Maya. They believed that Venus was the planet of war and the sister of the wisdom god Kukulkan. Scientists have found marks in El Caracol that indicate that the Maya accurately calculated the cycle of Venus, consisting of 584 days.
Osario means "cemetery" in Spanish. Like El Castillo, this is a step pyramid with a temple on top, but only on a smaller scale. Like its larger neighbor, it has four faces with stairs on each side. But unlike El Castillo, in the center there is a hole in the pyramid, leading to a cave 12 meters deep below ground level. Herbert Thompson excavated this cave at the end of the 19th century, found several skeletons and artifacts, and called it the Tomb of the High Priest (Tumba del Gran Sacerdote). Archaeologists today believe that the structure was neither a tomb nor a burial place for priests. But scientists have not come to a final conclusion.
Chichen Itza has nine ball courts. The largest of them is located behind the pyramid of Kukulkan. It is 166 meters long and 68 meters wide. Seats for spectators are located on elevated platforms. The ball game was called Pok-ta-pok and was an important cult ritual to ensure fertility. Historians still argue about the origin of the game: some believe that it was invented by the Mayans, others give primacy to the Toltecs or even the Olmecs.
The site is located on the south-north line, with a deviation to the east, as it was oriented towards the sacred well. It is framed by vertical walls 12 meters high with stone rings fixed on them at a height of about 8 meters, through which it was necessary to throw a rubber ball weighing from 2 to 4 kg.
The diameter of the hole of 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 each in their own half of the field.
It was impossible to touch the ball with hands or feet, only with hips, buttocks, elbows, knees, passing from one side to the other to score points and trying to hit one of the stone rings. For getting into the ring, victory was awarded immediately, since it was not only insanely difficult, but, most importantly, it was believed that in this way a connection was established with the deity in whose honor the game was held. And each hit on the ring itself was counted as a penalty point. Since it was extremely difficult to get into the ring, 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 score the ball into the ring. The players wore special protective equipment that softened the impact of the ball - a leather hip belt and knee pads. The ball in the game imitated the symbolic struggle of the "Day and Night" of the Lower World with the Gods of Heaven.
It is assumed that the game ended with a ritual sacrifice - the team captain was beheaded. Judging by the bas-reliefs, the captain of the winning team was sacrificed, who first had his heart torn out, then his head was cut off. Until now, there are disputes about who was sacrificed to the gods - the captain of the winning or losing team. Most believe that the captain of the winning team was sacrificed, since only the best are given to the gods, as was the case with warriors.
The site has a unique acoustic effect - if you speak at one end of the site, then everything is heard at the other.
To the right of the ball court is the Temple of the Skulls (Tzompantli) - a T-shaped platform, the walls of which are covered with relief images of skulls.
The stone wall of Tzompantli was the basis for wooden frames, on which the skulls of killed enemies and sacrificed were hung. The name of this complex is given in the Nahual language, the language of the Indians of Central Mexico, where such structures were often found.
The road, laid out of stones and going from the pyramid of Kakulkan to the north, leads to the sacrificial sacred cenote. The cenote is 82 meters deep, 60 meters in diameter, and 20 meters from the edge of the cenote to the water.
This natural round well with walls made of karst deposits and green-colored water served as a place of ritual worship of the rain god for more than 1000 years. The well owes its color to the specific local flora and mud deposits at the bottom. The Maya believed that the god of rain lives in the water depths, and during a drought they brought human sacrifices here. It was believed that the cenote is a kind of portal through which you can get to God.
The priests, after certain ceremonies, sent the “chosen ones” to meet with God and for a long time watched the victim, 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 bottom and the fact that the priests were closely monitoring that the victim would definitely get to the god, it was almost impossible to get out of the cenote. The only known Indian who somehow got out of the Sacred Cenote is Hunak Keel. Subsequently, under his leadership in 1178, Chichen Itza was captured.
Professor at Harvard University 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 finds ended up in the Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology at Harvard University.
The game of the Mayan Indians in the ball (fragment of the evening show)
World interest in the heritage of the disappeared Maya civilization has not faded to this day. Numerous religious and cult mysteries, gloomy predictions, the most accurate calendars, gigantic ruined cities, among which the most famous is Chichen Itza, invariably attract crowds of tourists and curious people. The magical ancient ruins have been explored continuously for hundreds of years.
History of the ancient Mayan city - Chichen Itza
Based on archaeological data and fragments of ancient chronicles, the 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.
All statements regarding Chichen Itza are not confirmed and are hypotheses requiring evidence that are almost impossible to find. According to some reports, from 20 to 30 thousand inhabitants permanently lived in the city. An uncountable number of pilgrims and wanderers, merchants and money changers visited this settlement every year.
In the 10th century, the Mayans were conquered by the Toltecs, Chichen Itza was partially plundered, and most of the population left the city. But life did not leave him. The decline falls on the 13th century from the birth of Christ. Buildings crumbled, people left Chichen Itza.
An ancient city in the modern world
For a long time, no one showed interest in the majestic and sinister ruins. From the middle of the 19th century, a fascination with culture, astrology, and most importantly, the legendary wealth of the Maya began. Numerous excavations and studies began on the territory, artists and photographers from all over the world came to capture bizarre buildings and mysterious temples.
In the 1950s, the Mexican government decided to restore (as far as possible) the original appearance Chichen Itza. Soon this place became a Mecca for tourists.
In 2007, the ancient city was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and named one of the 7 new wonders of the world.
Excursion around Chichen Itza
The area of the city is about 6 km. sq. The surviving architectural complexes are numerous and if you study them in detail, consider each relief and column, then one day for a visit will not be enough. Unfortunately, excursions organized from Cancun are only one-day. There is nowhere to spend the night in Chichen Itza, and it’s creepy.
A professional guide will lead the group along the paved roads, perfectly preserved over a dozen and a half centuries, and will tell you about all the religious buildings of the city. The most significant and huge of them is the pyramid of the Feathered Serpent - Kukulkan. The guide will tell legends about bloody sacrifices, cruelty and religious beliefs of the ancient tribe.
The Temple of Warriors will amaze with the realism of the reliefs and sculptures; it is 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 tour includes a visit to the sacred cenote - a natural reservoir with a diameter of 60 m. There is evidence that Maya girls and children were thrown into this "lake", as well as numerous cult objects, asking their deities for rain. The variety of impressions and the special energy of the place will not leave anyone indifferent!
Information for tourists
Chichen Itza coordinates: 20.6842849, -88.5677826.
Distances from cities: from Merida - 115 km; from Cancun - 200 km.
Open for visiting: daily from 8:00 to 17:00.
In addition to the most famous monuments of the Mayan civilization, Cancun is also interesting for the island of Cozumel, which is ideal for those who want to soak up the beaches or go diving and surfing.
Story city of Chichen Itza, which in a short time became one of the main centers of the Mayan civilization and just as quickly fell into almost absolute oblivion, is still waiting for its researchers. Archaeologists have recreated some of the main monuments of the city, since the main cyclopean buildings were built to last and are well preserved. Historians are trying to reconstruct its chronology. But in general, the rapid rise of the city and its no less rapid decline are still one big mystery.
The city is located in modern Mexico, various researchers interpret the name Chichen Itza in their own way. They agree on only one thing - with this name, the Mayans emphasized the importance of a huge natural well located in these places ("chen" in the Mayan languages \u200b\u200b meant "source of water", "well", mouth"). In the arid climate of the Yucatan Peninsula, on which the city was located, the presence of an uninterrupted source of water gave locality key value.
Talking about the mystery of the city Chichen Itza and the Mayan civilization in general, you should not delve too deeply into conspiracy theories. Everything is much easier. In the 16th century, the Spanish colonialists, who brought the light of civilization to the lands inhabited by wild peoples, diligently supported this light with the flame of ancient manuscripts. They cleaned up the documents so thoroughly that to this day, researchers are restoring the possible purpose of the surviving buildings literally bit by bit. And if the Spaniards had at least primitive bulldozers at their disposal, we, quite possibly, would never have known about the amazing Mayan structures.
However, by the time the Europeans arrived in Latin America, the Mayan civilization was already in ruins. Founded around the 6th century AD, Chichen Itza was abandoned and abandoned in the second half of the 11th century. A highly developed civilization was ruined by internal conflicts and fratricidal wars. The rise and fall of the Mayan civilization was separated by some 500 years ... The divided Maya were defeated by the Toltecs without much difficulty. The conquerors built up the northern part of the city. In the 14th century, the Maya managed to unite and recapture Chichen Itza, but this was their last success before the arrival of the Spaniards. The Europeans found the city already as a place of pilgrimage for residents from the surrounding settlements.
Even during the period of time allotted by history, the Maya managed to become a technically and culturally developed people. The cult buildings preserved in Chichen Itza, including the Mayan pyramids, testify not only to their serious technical abilities, but also to their deep knowledge in the sciences.
For example, Pyramid of Kukulkan, which is the main attraction of Chichen Itza, is not only a temple. It is a combination of an observatory with a laboratory. The ascent to the temple, located at the top of the tetrahedral pyramid, passes through four staircases of 91 steps. Thus, the number of steps, if you add a balustrade to them, is exactly 365. Moreover, the pyramid is so oriented in space that on the days of the equinoxes the shadows from the ledges form an image of a feathered serpent. On the day of the spring equinox, the shadow rises, and on the day of the autumnal equinox, it falls. Thousands of people gather to look at this optical effect. The Maya did not forget about acoustics either - a word uttered at the top of the pyramid, even in a low voice, is perfectly heard at its foot.
A wide staircase leads to the temple, resting on the statue of Chuck Mool. Apparently, sacrifices were made at its foot. The walls of the temple are also decorated with drawings of Mayan warriors and deities, including Kukulkan.
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A little further north of the Kukulkan pyramid is the Sacred Cenote. Most likely, it was from this giant well that the history of Chichen Itza began. The water in the funnel with a diameter of about 60 meters never dries up. Despite the paucity of information about Chichen Itza, talk of large-scale sacrifices in the Sacred Cenote has reached the present, and the well has been explored several times in search of precious finds. Contrary to expectations, little gold, which the Mayans allegedly threw into the well to appease the gods, was found. The bulk of the sacrifices were made of obsidian and ceramic jewelry. The researchers were greatly impressed by the human bones found at the bottom of the Sacred Cenote, which confirmed the thesis of Maya human sacrifices. There is another similar source of water in the city, called Cenote Shtolok, however, due to its small size, it apparently was not an object of worship and was used exclusively as a source of water.
Mayan human sacrifices were performed not only to appease the gods responsible for natural phenomena. The ball court, located in Chichen Itza, is designed in a spirit that does not allow for other interpretations, except for the notorious "Winner Takes All".
The lack of proper dexterity was punishable by death - the drawings on the walls of the ancient stadium show teams of seven people proudly holding the severed heads of rivals in their hands.
To the northwest of the Pyramid of Kukulkan, next to the playground, is the Temple of the Jaguars. Like the Temple of the Warriors, it is richly decorated with murals, and gets its name from the prevailing designs. According to some assumptions, it was a kind of VIP boxes in modern football stadiums - a place from which noble Mayans watched sports matches with comfort.
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Next to the Temple of the Jaguars is Tzompantli - a structure apparently recognized to frighten the enemies of the Maya. Otherwise, this building is called the Temple of the Skulls - one of its walls is entirely made of human heads. The rest of the walls are decorated with drawings glorifying the wisdom of the gods and the bravery of the Mayan warriors.
In the southwest of Chichen Itza, archaeologists discovered a small ten-meter pyramid, called the Tomb of the High Priest. At its top there are tombstones that testify to the burials of at least seven representatives of the noble families of the Maya. An almost vertical underground passage was found under the pyramid. It leads to a cave in which the remains of the dead were located, providing them with various utensils and decorations.
Approximately the same recognizable symbol of Chichen Itza as the pyramid of Kukulkan is El Caracol. This huge (measuring 52 by 67 meters) structure was erected on a giant platform, which is crowned by a building with a semicircular tower. Due to the shape of the tower, El Caracol is considered to be an observatory. Some scientists believe that the windows in the tower helped to observe the position in the sky of Venus. This allegedly helped the Maya streamline agricultural work. But regardless of its purpose, El Caracol at the same time impresses both with its scale and elegance of construction.
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In 2007, the city of Chichen Itza, which is the second most popular archaeological site in Mexico, was rightly recognized as one of new wonders of the world. It is located in a densely populated part of the country. Tourism infrastructure is developed in and around the city. It is better to get to Chichen Itza from the cities of Merida or Cancun along the highway. In the city itself, due to its size (6 sq. km.), You need to use a map or guide services. The months from October to April are most suitable for visiting - in the summer, traveling around Latin America is complicated by sweltering heat.
The pyramids of Chichen Itza are one of the most visited UNESCO-listed attractions in Mexico.
Chichen Itza is overloaded with the souvenir industry. Furious roar everywhere! So merchants attract tourists with special whistles in the shape of a jaguar head. This predator is a sacred animal for the Mayan people; it supposedly scares away evil spirits.
Being here, you simultaneously experience irresistible curiosity and mystical horror from touching something unknown and gloomy. No distractions can interrupt this tacit communication with the deep past!
Magnetism Chichen Itza
When and by whom was the city built?
This is one of the oldest Indian cities. The buildings are scattered over a vast area of the jungle and are well preserved.
Part of the Itza Maya tribe settled here as early as the 4th century BC. “Chi” in the Mayan language means a mouth or mouth, “Chen” means a well, Itza is those Mayans who, according to legend, were the first people on Earth. Abandoned by the 7th century of our millennium, the city was settled by the Toltecs, a special highly educated caste of the Maya.
What to see
The city has two parts: New (northern) Chichen and Old (southern) Chichen. In the northern part there is a visiting card of the whole complex Pyramid of Kukulkan with unique acoustics. Sound bounces off its walls.
Nearby are: the Temple of Warriors with an altar - a sculpture of Chuck Mool, the Temple of the Jaguars, a ball game with an acoustic effect that the science of our time cannot explain, the Group of a Thousand Columns and Temascalli - an ancient Indian bath.
The jungle road will lead to 
the deepest (about 50 m) natural karst reservoir in the ancient city of Sacred Cenote. There the Maya worshiped the God of Rain. In total, there are 13 such reservoirs on the territory of Chichen Itza.
In the southern part, the Snail is of particular interest - the Mayan observatory, in the rounded dome of which holes were made in a special order. There, ancient scientists observed the stars. This name is due to the spiral staircase inside. It is not clear where the ancient Toltecs received such deep knowledge of astronomy.
Chichen Itza - a famous place of power on Earth
The Toltecs are a special Mayan caste that passed down through generations skills and abilities in construction and art, scientific and religious knowledge. In the language of esotericism, Chichen Itza is one of the greatest places of power on Earth. Even from the point of view of a 100% atheist, the presence of some special energy here is undeniable! And such places always attract a huge number of people.
Bloody rites and traditions
The ancient Mayan people firmly believed that the best way to "negotiate" with the gods about future well-being was to sacrifice. Cruelly and publicly, in order to please the gods, the priests killed animals and people.
The temples of Chichen Itza have seen much blood and suffering. That's probably why it's getting here 
creepy.
Chak-Mool - common stone human figures with a tray on their stomachs served as places of sacrifice among the Toltecs. Human hearts were given to the mercy of the bloodthirsty gods!
And at the consecration of a new temple or at religious holidays, even small children became victims.
After the ball game, sacrifices were also often made, as evidenced by the surviving frescoes on the walls. 
stadiums. It is believed that the captain of the winning team became the victim. To become a victim was a high honor and a guarantee of happiness in the future life.
