(Chichen Itza) is an ancient city founded by the Mayans in the 6th century. The Pyramids of Chichen Itza are one of the most visited sites in the Yucatan. The name Chichen Itza itself is translated from the Mayan language as “ Mayan well", due to the fact that on the territory ancient city There are 13 cenotes (natural wells). One of them, the Sacred Cenote, served as a sacrifice to the Rain God.

In the 10th century, the city of Chichen Itza was captured by the Toltecs, and in 1194 the city was deserted. Why the residents left Chichen Itza is still not known.

Ancient city and pyramids of Chichen Itza located on the Yucatan Peninsula, 205 km from famous resort and 120 km from Merida. Chichen Itza is one of the most popular and most visited attractions in the Yucatan Peninsula. Almost all tourists who come on vacation to Mexico, to Cancun, consider it their duty to visit the archaeological complex of Chichen Itza, so there are always a lot of people here. It is advisable to arrive at the opening, then you have a chance to walk around the complex alone 😎

The ancient city and pyramids of Chichen Itza are protected by UNESCO.

How to get to the pyramids of Chichen Itza, Mexico

1. By bus. ADO buses run from Cancun and Merida. The cost of a ticket Cancun - Chichen Itza is 80 - 140 pesos (depending on the class of the bus). Travel time is 3-4 hours. Ticket price Merida – Chichen Itza 50-80 pesos, travel time 1.45 – 2.5 hours
2. Can buy organized excursion to Chichen Itza, group or individual. The excursion can be booked at any hotel or arranged in advance with personal guide. To book a tour, simply follow the link.
3. On rented car . In my opinion, this is the best way to get to Chichen Itza. You can see other sights along the way. Read about how to rent a car in Mexico in Cancun. From Cancun you can get to Chichen Itza by toll or toll roads.

Opening hours and cost of visiting the archaeological complex of Chichen Itza

The Chichen Itza complex is open to the public from 8:00 to 17:00. The evening light show takes place at 7:00 p.m. winter period and at 20:00 in the summer.

Cost of tickets to Chichen Itza: a ticket to Chichen Itza consists of two parts - a ticket for 125 pesos and a ticket for 57 pesos, total entrance fee 182 pesos (14.5 dollars). These are the most expensive pyramids we visited in Mexico 😎

Parking near Chichen Itza is also paid - 22 pesos (just under 2 dollars).

We knew we had to get to Chichen Itza as early as possible, so we left at 6:30 am! It’s good that the time difference with Moscow is 10 hours; in the first days we got up at 6 am without any problems.

We drove to Chichen Itza along a toll road to save time. Traveling along the Cancun-Chichen Itza toll road is not at all cheap: we paid twice, the first time 251 pesos, the second time 61 pesos, a total of 312 pesos (almost 25 dollars!!!)….

Cancun-Chichen Itza Toll Road

...and for what? A little less than 200 km away. We drove these 200 km in 3 hours, I don’t know how people manage to drive them in 2 hours? We don’t break the rules, we didn’t exceed the speed limit, we stopped once at a gas station for 5 minutes.

We arrived at the entrance to the archaeological complex of Chichen Itza at 9:30 in the morning.
There were already cars of independent travelers in the parking lot, but not as many as I thought. We bought tickets, and the guides immediately began to pester us, but we, of course, refused them. At the entrance to the complex there is a toilet (free), souvenir shops, and a cafe.

The first thing that catches your eye when entering the archaeological zone is the main attraction of Chichen Itza (or El Castillo, translated from Spanish as “the castle”).

The main attraction of Chichen Itza is the Pyramid of Kukulkan

This nine-tiered pyramid is 24 meters high, on top of which there is a temple in which sacrifices were made. The Kukulkan pyramid is symmetrical and has four staircases. And each staircase consists of 91 steps. If the number of steps 91 is multiplied by the number of stairs 4 and added one (the upper platform), we get the number 365 - the number of days in a year!

Central (northern) staircase of the Kukulkan pyramid
Not the main staircase of the Kukulkan pyramid :)

The Pyramid of Kukulcan is also known as Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent . Every year, on the days of the equinox, March 20 and September 21, many people come to the Kukulkan pyramid to see one very interesting phenomenon: at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon the sun illuminates the main staircase of the pyramid so that shadows are formed - triangles, together looking like the tail of a snake, As the sun moves, the triangles fade out and form the effect of a snake crawling down.

By the way, you can see this spectacle at the nightly light show.

Temple of Warriors

Let's go to "group of a thousand columns" , here is a place called the market.

In general, this part of the Chichen Itza archaeological zone is quite sparsely populated and calm. And the sun is not too hot, it’s nice to take a walk or relax under the canopy of trees.

Attracts attention ball field . This is one of the largest fields in the complex, its length is 166 m, width 68 m, wall height 12 m. Stone rings are fixed at a height of 8m. The Mayans played ball here. The game was called “pot-ta-pok”, it was played with a rubber ball that weighed about 4 kg and could only be hit with the hip. It is assumed that the game ended with a sacrifice.

Field for playing ball: on the wall there is a ring where, according to the rules of the game, the ball had to be scored

You cannot climb the Kukulcan pyramid or other ruins. They say that previously it was possible to climb the pyramid, but then this activity was banned. Either someone fell from the pyramid, or they are simply afraid that the pyramid will deteriorate and collapse... Therefore, a walk around the Chichen Itza complex did not take us much time - only two hours.







When we headed towards the exit, around 11:30, crowds of tourists began to arrive, there were many Russian-speaking groups.

Watch a short video from this amazing place 😎

Immediately, local merchants had already set up their stalls with souvenirs. By the way, you can buy souvenirs inexpensively here. Much cheaper than Cancun. They sell a lot of interesting masks here, which we never saw anywhere else during our further trip to Mexico. Later we regretted that we had not bought any souvenirs near Chichen Itza. If you need souvenirs, buy them here and be sure to bargain!

Souvenirs in Chichen Itza for every taste and cheaper than in Cancun

You can spend the night near the Chichen Itza complex in one of the hotels. Choose to your taste and enjoy your vacation 😎 At the same time, you will be able to visit the archaeological complex of Chichen Itza twice: during the day, see the sights, and in the evening come to watch the evening light and music show, for which you do not need to buy a separate ticket, the cost is already included in day tickets.

And two simpler hotels (3 stars):

We didn’t spend the night near the Chichen Itza pyramids, but moved on; an interesting, rich program lay ahead of us, so subscribe to the site’s newsletter to receive notifications about new blog articles! 😎

Kukulkan: the right part of the pyramid has been restored, the left has not been restored Caracol - ancient Observatory

Chichen Itza is a city of the Mayan civilization, well preserved from antiquity, built in accordance with the religious beliefs of this people. We can immediately say that all Mayan cities were built taking into account the positions of the heavenly bodies and stars.

Once upon a time, the city of Chichen Itza was the center of culture of several Indian peoples. Its name is translated as “place at the well of the Itza tribe.” Peoples such as the Mayans, Toltecs, and Itzas left their mark on the city of Chichen Itza.

Now this city in Mexico is the object of the world cultural heritage UNESCO.

Where is Chichen Itza located?

This seventh wonder of the world is located in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The ancient city of Chichen Itza is 205 kilometers from the famous resort of Cancun and 120 kilometers from Merida. Very close to it (1.5 kilometers) is small town Piste.

Popularity of the ancient city

Chichen Itza is one of the most popular places in Yucatan and Mexico in general. It is in second place in terms of attendance among ancient cities, ahead of only Teotihuacan ().

It is estimated that the number of tourists who visit this archaeological complex exceeds a million per year. A huge influx was observed here in December 2012, because it was at this time that the Mayan calendar was supposed to end. Many people wanted to spend the end of the world in the archaeological complex of Chichen Itza.

Currently, you can come to Chichen Itza on a 1-day excursion from both Cancun and Merida.

City `s history

The beginning of the city's history dates back to the 6th century AD. Then it was one of the largest cities of the Mayan civilization. The southern part of the ancient city was built in accordance with the traditions of the Mayan people.

In the 10th century, after being captured, the city was dominated by the Toltecs, who arrived here from Central Mexico. Subsequently, from about half of the 11th century, Chichen Itza became the capital and center of the Toltec state.

Blood sacrifices began here precisely because of these people. The entire northern part of the city bears witness to their presence. A century later, the city was defeated by a huge army, which included warriors from three states - Uxmal, Mayapan, Itzmal.

Chichen Itza was defeated by the ruler Hunak Keel. Subsequently, the city was deserted and turned into ruins (this is how Europeans discovered it).

Many treasures were stolen by the Spaniards and the manuscripts were destroyed.

Therefore, very little can be said about history, but it is assumed that if not for the actions of Europeans, archaeologists could have discovered many unique finds. In 1923, Mexico began archaeological excavations, and now about 6 square kilometers of the ancient city is on the surface.

Pyramid of Kukulcan in Chichen Itza

The very first structure that is very striking is huge pyramid Kukulkan. It is the center of the city of Chichen Itza. In Spanish it is called El Castillo, that is, “the castle.”

The total height of the Kukulkan pyramid is 24 meters. The pyramid has nine tiers, and at the very top there is a temple.

Kukulkan, like any pyramid, has 4 faces, which are directed to the 4 cardinal directions. And on each side there is a wide staircase, which is decorated with snake heads at the bottom.

The path leads to the main northern staircase of the pyramid. To get to the top you must overcome a certain number of steps - there are 91 of them.

It is interesting that the total number of steps on the pyramid, including the upper platform, is 365, that is, the exact number of days in a year.

This coincidence suggests that this pyramid may have some relation to the calendar or may have astronomical significance.

At the very top there is a temple where sacrifices were made in ancient times.

As studies have shown, great pyramid was built on top of even more ancient pyramid, into which a hole in the floor of the sanctuary leads.

In the hidden chambers of the Kukulkan pyramid, archaeologists discovered two main antiquities: the “Jaguar Mat” and the figure of Chaak Mool, the god of rain.

• "Jaguar Mat"- is a stone throne in the shape of a jaguar, the paint on it is fiery red, this is a symbol of the power of the ruler of the city. According to legend, the very first owner of this throne was Quetzalcoatl. The spots on the animal's body and the animal's eyes are made of jade. The fangs are carved from volcanic stone.
• - made for ritual purposes. On her stomach there is a flat bowl on which the victim's heart was placed for subsequent burning.

The second name of the Kukulkan structure is the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent (the most correct translation: feathered serpent). Firstly, this pyramid and temple are dedicated to this deity. Secondly, the name is associated with a specific phenomenon.

Light illusion of Kukulcan - the play of shadows on the edges of the pyramid

Every year around the time of the equinox there is an event that attracts people to Mexico. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the pyramid is illuminated so that the stairs cast a shadow - a series of triangles, which together resemble a snake's tail.

As the star moves in the sky, the triangles fade out one by one, thus creating the feeling that it is the tail of a huge snake, 37 meters long, moving down.

Now this phenomenon can be seen not only on certain days, there is a light show every evening.

Kukulkan: the right part of the pyramid has been restored, the left has not been restored

Find out more about the Pyramid of Kukulkan on our website - “Pyramid of Kukulkan - the ancient Mayan god”

Temples of the ancient city of Chichen Itza

The Temple of the Warriors and the Temple of the Jaguars are important buildings in the city of Chichen Itza. Both stand on small pyramids with 4 steps. Both have many paintings.

Temple of Warriors

The Temple of the Warriors is located on the western side of the Kikulkan Pyramid. It has four platforms, and on three sides around it you can see rows of three-meter stone columns. They are called the "Group of a Thousand Columns".

The pillars are skillfully carved from stone, and represent Toltec warriors, as if standing in formation. Once upon a time they supported the roof.

On the south side of the temple there is a small building called “Market”.

The upper sanctuary also once had a roof, but now it is gone, and at the top there are two “snakes” that guarded the passage to the temple.

On the platform there is also a statue of a man in a reclining position. This is Chaak Mool - the god of rain.

The Temple of the Jaguar has two sanctuaries: an upper and a lower one. At the top, the elite watched the game on the field.

At the entrance to the lower sanctuary you can see the figure of a jaguar, thanks to which the temple received its name.

Another structure is called the Temple or tomb of the great priest. During Mayan times it played an important role.

Externally, the structure is similar to other temples with pyramids. But its difference is that inside there is a passage to a cave underground. Ancient burials of noble people were discovered there.

The second name of this structure is Osuari, in other words a crypt.

Other attractions

In addition to the temples, the city of Chichen Itza has other interesting places.

The Sacred Cenote is a huge well. Its diameter is approximately 60 meters, and the depth of the well is 50 meters. There is water in it, from the edge to its surface about 20 meters.

The well served as the place where young girls were thrown for sacrifice. Therefore, the second name of this object is the Well of Death.

Ball fields

On the territory of the archaeological complex there are 9 ball fields. This game was somewhat similar to modern basketball, only it was played with a heavy rubber ball, which could only be hit with the hip. Instead of ordinary baskets, stone rings are attached to the walls.

The sites found are quite large, the largest is located in the northern part of the complex. Its dimensions are: length - 160 meters, width - 70. The entire field is surrounded by eight-meter walls, they depict scenes of torment of losing players and many skulls.

Karakol Tower - ancient Observatory

Another ancient building- Karakol. This is a tower on two platforms, it was used for observing celestial astronomical objects. It is often called the Observatory.

Chichen Itza is an ancient Mayan city located in the northern part of Yucatan, 120 km east of Merida and 185 km west of Cancun. The city is believed to have been founded in the 5th-6th centuries and was one of the largest Mayan cities. The city flourished in the 8th-9th centuries.

The name of the city is translated from the Mayan language as “Mouth of the Well of the Itza Tribe” (“chi” in the Mayan language means mouth, “chen” means well, “Itza” is the name of the Mayan tribe or group, which, according to legend, was the first to appear on this land) . This is due to the fact that on the territory of the city there are 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 on the Yucatan Peninsula in the eighth century. 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 since 1194 it has fallen 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.

Now on the territory of the city there are many structures, in particular, the famous pyramids of Chichen Itza. The most prominent among them is the pyramid of Kukulcan (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 major cities. The Mayans believed that Kukulkan taught them fishing, 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 is the height of the temple at the top where sacrifices were made to Kukulkan. The length of each of its sides is 55 meters, each face 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. The stairs are bordered by a stone balustrade, which begins at the bottom with the head of the serpent and continues in the form of a curving serpentine body to the top of the pyramid.

Each of the four staircases 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 staircases, 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 Mayan calendar consisted of two parallel cycles: the ritual Tzolk'i'in (Tzolk'i'in) period of 260 days and the civil 365-day Haab period, which underlay agricultural work and daily life of the Indians. The Mayans combined the two calendars into what they called the “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 equinox, you can watch 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 responds with the voice of the quetzal bird, sacred to the Mayans. The sacred quetzal bird represented the Mayan spirit, and the echo was the voice of the spirits. It is believed that this is why the echo of the spirit of the Temple of Kukulcan speaks with the voice of the 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 male figures carved from stone stand and sit on the upper platform of the pyramid. In ancient times, during festivals and ceremonies, banners were placed in 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. The purpose of Chac-Mool is not completely 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 staircase 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 not a trace remains of it. 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 for traditional human sacrifices.

Another famous attraction of Chichen Itza is the El Caracol Observatory (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, during the peak period of the Mayan civilization. Square windows in the cylindrical tower are aimed at the points of sunrise and sunset on the days of the winter and summer solstice, spring and autumn equinox.

Astronomers believe that the observatory at Chichen Itza was built to monitor the activity of Venus, which was of particular importance to the Mayans. They believed that Venus was the planet of war and the sister of the god of wisdom, Kukulcan. Scientists have discovered marks at El Caracol indicating that the Mayans accurately calculated the 584-day cycle of Venus.

Osario means "cemetery" in Spanish. Like El Castillo, it is a step pyramid with a temple on top, but on a smaller scale. Like its larger neighbor, it has four sides with stairs on each side. But unlike El Castillo, there is a pyramid hole in the center 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 named 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 game courts. The largest of them is located behind the Kukulkan pyramid. Its length is 166 meters and its width is 68 meters. 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 a rubber ball weighing from 2 to 4 kg had to be thrown.

The diameter of the ring hole was a little larger size ball. The field was divided in half and the players of each team had to be in their own half of the field.

It was impossible to touch the ball with your hands or feet, only with your hips, buttocks, elbows, knees, passing from one end to the other to score points and trying to get into one of the stone rings. For hitting the ring, victory was awarded immediately, since it was not only incredibly difficult, but, most importantly, it was believed that in this way a connection was established with the deity in whose honor the game was played. 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. 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 “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, whose heart was first torn out, then his head was cut off. There are still 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 venue has a unique acoustic effect - if you speak at one end of the venue, you can hear everything at the other.

To the right of the ball field is the Temple of Skulls (Tzompantli), a T-shaped platform whose walls 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 those 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.

A road made of stones leading north from the Caculcan pyramid 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 sediments and water of a green hue served as a place of ritual worship of the rain god for more than 1000 years. The color of the water in the well is due to the specific local flora and mud deposits at the bottom. The Mayans believed that the rain god lived in the watery depths, and during droughts they brought human sacrifices here. 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 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 bottom and that the priests were closely watching to ensure 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 escaped from the Sacred Cenote is considered to be Hunak Keel. Subsequently, under his leadership in 1178, Chichen Itza was captured.

Harvard University professor and American Consul in Merida, Herbert Thompson explored the Sacred Cenote from 1904 to 1910 and recovered many ancient artifacts of 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.

Mayan Indians ball game (fragment of the evening show)

Location: Mexico
Main attractions: temple of Kukulkan, temple of warriors, temple of jaguars, observatory, sacred cenote
Coordinates: 20°41"01.0"N 88°34"08.4"W

Content:

Short description

The ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza, located in Mexico in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula, is covered with ominous glory. It is here, 300 meters north of the main buildings of the city, that the Sacred Cenote, or “Well of Death” is about 50 meters deep, at the bottom of which, according to Mayan legends, the rain god Chac lived.

Bird's eye view of the ancient city of Chichen Itza

To appease God and bring rain, the Mayans performed human sacrifices, throwing the most beautiful girls to the bottom of the well. Following the victims, rich gifts were thrown into the cenote - gold, items made of jade, rock crystal, mother-of-pearl, amber, copper, onyx, etc.

The legend of the sacrifices was confirmed by Mexican scientists who sank to the bottom of the well. And although the well has not been used by the Mayans for a long time, many people still believe in its supernatural powers. It is believed that if you throw a coin into the water and make a wish, it will definitely come true.

Temple of Kukulcan

A Brief History of Chichen Itza

The name of the ancient city of Chichen Itza translates as “Well of the Itza Tribe.” The city arose in the 7th century AD. e. as a Mayan religious center, and by the 10th century it was captured by the Toltecs, who came to Yucatan from central Mexico, and by the 11th century it became the capital of the Toltec kingdom. In 1178, the Indian ruler Hunak Keel destroyed the Mayan sanctuary, turning it into a pitiful pile of ruins. The city fell into decay and became depopulated.

Temple of Warriors

Return of the Feathered Serpent

Chichen Itza is considered the most famous and best restored Mayan city. The main temple of Chichen Itza is dedicated to the deity Kukulkan - the “Feathered Serpent”. The 30-meter-tall Pyramid of Kukulkan rises on a huge stone terrace. Four staircases, oriented according to the cardinal directions, lead to the top of the ritual structure, where the ancient Mayans performed sacrifices. The staircases are framed by a balustrade, which begins at the bottom with a serpent's head carved in stone and continues in the form of a curving serpentine body to the top of the pyramid.

Observatory

Every year on the days of the spring and autumn equinox, that is, March 20 and September 22, you can observe the unique phenomenon of the “Feathered Serpent”: the sun illuminates the balustrade in such a way that a shadow of the “Feathered Serpent” is formed on the pyramid, which crawls down and disappears exactly after 3 hours 22 minutes.

All four staircases of the temple have 91 steps, and together with the platform terrace that links them together, there are 365 steps (91 x 4 + 1), which corresponds to the number of days in a year.

Temple of the Jaguars

Treasures of the Kukulcan Pyramid

In one of the secret rooms of the Kukulkan pyramid, archaeologists discovered the “Jaguar Mat” and the ritual figure of Chak Mool with a flat bowl on his stomach, on which the heart of the sacrifice was burned. The "Jaguar Mat" is a throne carved from stone in the shape of a jaguar's body and painted a fiery red color. The spots on the animal's skin are made of jade stones. The eyes are also jade, and the fangs in the grinning mouth are carved from stone of volcanic origin.

Large ball field

Other attractions of Chichen Itza

Important buildings of Chizen Itza are the Temple of the Warriors and the Temple of the Jaguars, whose walls are decorated with paintings. Thus, in the Temple of the Jaguars, images of jaguars and eagles devouring human hearts are carved. On the south side of the Temple of the Warriors is the "Group of a Thousand Columns". It consists of the ruins of four colonnades, forming a giant rectangle. Chichen Itza also has its own Caracol observatory, designed to observe the planets and in particular Venus.

Sacred Cenote

It is a round building with small windows, rising on a double stone platform. Inside this structure there is a spiral staircase, which has a spiral shape like a mollusk shell. This is where the name of the observatory came from - “Caracol”, which is translated from Spanish as “snail”. One of the oldest buildings in the city, the Palace of Nuns is interesting for its stone carvings and masks of the god Chaka. There are seven preserved ball courts at Chichen Itza, including the largest "stadium" ever created by the Mayans.

Venus platform

Because the ball game had ritual significance for the Mayans, the losers were sacrificed. The inhabitants of Chichen Itza were excellent craftsmen and artists. This is evidenced by the sculptures of deities preserved in the city, bas-reliefs with floral and geometric patterns carved on them, handicrafts, etc. In 2007, based on the results of a popular vote, Chichen Itza was recognized as one of the