Kukulkan: the right side of the pyramid has been restored, the left side has not been restored Karakol - the ancient Observatory

Chichen Itza is a city of the Mayan civilization, well preserved from antiquity, built in accordance with the religious ideas of this people. It can be said right away that all Mayan cities were built taking into account the positions of heavenly bodies and stars.

Once the city of Chichen Itza was the center of culture of several Indian peoples. Its name is translated as "a place at the well of the Itza tribe." Such peoples as the Maya, Toltecs, Itza left their mark in the city of Chichen Itza.

This city in Mexico is now a World Heritage Site. 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 away 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 destinations in the Yucatan and in Mexico in general. It is in second place in terms of attendance among ancient cities, only Teotihuacan () is ahead of it.

It is estimated that the number of tourists who visit this archaeological complex exceeds one million a 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 with a 1-day excursion from both Cancun and Merida.

City `s history

The history of the city dates back to the 6th century AD. Then it was one of largest cities 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 the capture, the city was dominated by the Toltecs, who arrived here from Central Mexico. Later, from about the middle of the 11th century, Chichen Itza became the capital and center of the Toltec state.

Blood sacrifices began here precisely because of this people. The entire northern part of the city testifies to their presence. A century later, the city was defeated by a huge army, which included the soldiers of three states - Ushmal, Mayapan, Itzmal.

Chichen Itza was defeated by the ruler Hunak Keel. In the future, the city was empty and turned into ruins (this is how the 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 it were 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 Kukulkan in Chichen Itza

The very first building that is very conspicuous is the huge pyramid of Kukulkan. It is the center in the city of Chichen Itza. In Spanish, it is called El Castillo, which means "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 that are directed to 4 cardinal points. And on each side a wide staircase leads up, which is decorated with snake heads below.

The path leads to the main northern staircase of the pyramid. To go upstairs, 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, an even number of days in a year.

Such a coincidence suggests that this pyramid may have some relation to the calendar, or it may have astronomical significance.

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

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

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

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

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

Light illusion of Kukulkan - the play of shadows on the faces of the pyramid

Every year, at the time of the equinox, an event takes place here that attracts people to Mexico. At 3 p.m., the pyramid is lit so that the staircase casts a shadow - a series of triangles that together resemble a snake's tail.

During the movement of the luminary in the sky, the triangles go out one by one, thus, it seems that this is the tail of a huge snake, 37 meters long, moving down.

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

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

Learn more about the Pyramid of Kukulkan on our website - "Pyramid of Kukulkan - the ancient Mayan god"

Temples of the ancient city of Chichen Itza

Temple of the Warriors as well as 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 the 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 "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 propped up the roof.

On the south side of the temple is a small building, which has the name "Market".

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

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

The Temple of the Jaguar has two shrines: 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 got its name.

Another building is called the Temple or the 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 graves of noble people were discovered there.

The second name of this building is Osuari, in other words, the crypt.

Other attractions

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

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 the sacrificed young girls were thrown. Therefore, the second name of this object is the Well of Death.

Ball fields

There are 9 ball fields on the territory of the archaeological complex. 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 found sites are quite large, the largest one 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.

Caracol tower - ancient observatory

Another ancient building— Caracol. This is a tower on two platforms, it was used to observe celestial astronomical objects. It is often referred to as the Observatory.

The north of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is adorned by the tourist attraction of the Mayan civilization CHICHEN ITZA, which is located 200 km to the west. Chichen Itza is the most famous ancient city of the Mayan empire. The pages of the book "Secrets of the Indian Pyramids" by M. Stingl tell that the first people began to settle on these lands in 455. The Indians chose these fertile places for life in the 5th century, and in the 7th century a whole urban community of the Maya tribe concentrated here. Chichen Itza in the 10th century AD is a rather sad time of clash between the Mayan and Toltec cultures, which brought a whole chorus of contradictions. The wise Mayans made maps, made their own model of the starry sky, predicted the end of the world in 2012, invented their own basketball with a hoop attached to the wall instead of a net.

Chichen Itza in Mexico has acquired the status of an object world heritage UNESCO in 1988. The archaeological complex of Chichen Itza consists of two zones complementing each other: the Southern (old) zone and the Central (new) zone that is highlighted. The stone platform of the Temple of Skulls with carved heads during sacrifices, frightening frescoes, ancient drawings and bas-reliefs remind of the former philosophy of the ancient Mayan tribe in the mysterious stone Mayan ruins among the untouched tropical nature Mexico.

The Sacred Cenote is a 50-meter-deep well created by nature itself for the sacrifices of the Mayan tribe. The ruins of 4 colonnades form a huge rectangle. They are called the "Group of 1000 Columns". Green field area with stone statues mayan pyramids(V-VI centuries), their palm-roofed “bungalow” buildings, Toltec buildings and temples, ancient excavation pit, stone pillars, the head of the snake god at the base of the El Castillo pyramid, the temple of the Jaguars with wall paintings - this is an incomplete list of , which represents the tourist Chichen Itza. The spectacular pyramid in the Square is the Pyramid of Kukulkan (El Castillo). According to Maya legend, twice a year on March 20 and September 22 during the astronomical phenomenon of the solstice (the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes), the solar supreme God-Snake invariably descends from the upper platform of the Kukulkan pyramid, striking tourists with the play of shadows and light reflections on the western balustrade.

The Pyramid of Kukulkan (El Castillo) is the main attraction of the entire complex, which saturates the archaeological zone of Chichen Itza with a special religious meaning. Since 2007, the Kukulkan pyramid has been listed as a new object of the Seven Wonders of the World. The El Castillo Pyramid is an object for tourists to see in the Central Zone. It personifies two parallel cycles of the ancient Mayan calendar: the ritual 260 day and the civil 365 day. The signs laid out in 52 stone relief ensembles on each of the four sides of the Kukulkan pyramid symbolize the intersection of these two cycles once every 52 years.

The Pyramid of Kukulkan is a stone stepped sculpture 25 meters high. She presents " Mayan calendar". The four sides of the pyramid have 9 steps. Each step in the middle is vertically cut off by a ladder. The two formed parts and receive 18 terraces (18 twenty-day months of the year). To the main platform at the top are 4 stairs of 91 steps, which are designed in the center of each side of the pyramid. As a result, they amount to 364 days a year and one basement. For a whole week before and after the dates of the spring and autumn equinoxes, it is also possible to observe the effect of a “feathered serpent” sliding down to its human head, carved at the base of the pyramid. Every year on March 20 and 21, Mexican Chichen Itza hosts theatrical, costume, dance and musical events. The holiday of "Declining Kukulkan" is coming. What an amazing energy here, because any pyramid attracts the sun!

The Itza peoples are a Maya-Toltec civilization that absorbed beliefs, legends and myths, ancient knowledge about the structure of the universe and ideas about the world around. In the history of the ancient city of Chichen Itza, two parts are distinguished: the first belongs to the Maya (VII-X centuries) and the worship of the deity Kukulkan; the second - to the Toltec state (X-XI century) with the capital Chichen Itza. Quetzalcoatl is the most mysterious figure of the Supreme God in Aztec mythology. The Toltecs associated him with their own twin god. The god of day, night and science Quetzalcoatl was depicted as a rattlesnake with green feathers of the quetzal bird. Perhaps the Indian civilization was ruined by the fact that they mistook the Spanish conqueror for this deity. The end of the XII century (1194) is a legend about a suddenly deserted Toltec town. For many centuries, the city of Chichen Itza was destroyed by the jungle and the forces of nature, until in 1923 regular archeological excavations began to be carried out here.

Toltec Chichen Itza is the art of Central Mexico. The ball court was built and invented by the Toltec warriors. The surviving El Caracol Observatory with a destroyed dome and a surviving spiral lift inside, dozens of military and religious buildings are exhibits of the Toltec era in Chichen Itza. The Temple of the Warriors stands out in particular - a low pyramid of five steps with a temple area at the top. The temple of warriors shows the former power of the Toltec army. There are nine places for playing ball on the territory of Chichen Itza. Juego de Pelita is the largest of them (length 145 meters, width about 68 meters). A rubber ball was thrown into two stone rings on the field (one on each side of the stone wall) - the prototype of our basketball.

Today Chichen Itza is a restored and very well restored corner of the Mayan civilization, a place of worship for the remains of Mayan shrines for tourists in Mexico. Right on the territory of the architectural complex in the open air workshops, handmade stone work will be done for you. A shop in Chichen Itza invites you to admire and buy plates and stoneware of all kinds as a keepsake. The Chichen Itza complex is an open-air museum, a restaurant, a market at the entrance, a bookstore and a bus stop. The ticket price is 45 Mexican pesos. Entrance from 8:00 to 17:00. Climbing all buildings since 2006 is prohibited.

Chichen Itza is considered most popular tour to the ancient treasures of the Mayan Indians on the Yucatan Peninsula in . From the Riviera Maya near Cancun, you can get here in two hours. Chichen Itza is visited by 1 million travelers every year. A grandiose invasion of tourists occurred in Chichen Itza on December 21, 2012. The Mayan calendar suggested the end of the world here. Now in the evenings in Chichen Itza there is a fabulous hour-long light and music performance in Spanish. Tickets for the show are separate. The secrets of the Mayan Indian pyramids create a magical awe, respect or a deceptive mirage among contemporaries. So let it remain a mystery to us!

The history of Central America knows several civilizations. But it was the Mayan culture that always attracted me. First of all, I was interested in how this civilization, which did not know either the wheel or iron, could reach such a level of development of the exact sciences, primarily mathematics and astronomy. What buildings did they leave behind? Therefore, when the opportunity for the next trip turned up, I did not hesitate to choose Mexico, the country where Chichen Itza, the iconic Mayan city, whose photo became calling card Central .

History of Chichen Itza, an ancient Mayan city

The first question that interests every traveler who finds himself in this mysterious place is what ancient people built the city of Chichen Itza and when it happened. The city was founded in V-VI centuries by the Itza people, one of the tribes of the Maya civilization. At this time, a stage began in the history of Chichen Itza, which in the pre-Columbian era is identified with the Mayan period. The city was one of the most important cultural centers and flourished until the end of the 7th century, after which it fell into relative decline.

In the X century Chichen Itza conquered by the Toltec tribes and by the middle of the 11th century it became the capital of their state. In the XII century, as a result of a conflict with neighboring city-states, the city was seriously damaged, but after that it still exists and even develops for some time. At the end of the 13th century, for unknown reasons, the city fell into decay and was completely abandoned by people. At the time of the invasion of the Spanish conquerors in the XV-XVI centuries, Chichen Itza was already completely abandoned and partially in ruins.

Since the conquistadors showed no interest in the history of the local peoples, even tried to destroy the traces of their ancient civilizations, no one was interested in the abandoned city for a long time.

Only in the 19th century, on the wave of national liberation movements, as well as the increased interest in science, did the abandoned city attract attention. At first, he was interested in a few private researchers, adventurers and fans of the occult sciences. Then Chichen Itza began to attract tourists and artists. And only in the middle of the XX century unique city became interested at the official level, and the Mexican government decided to partially restore the original appearance of Chichen Itza in order to attract tourists.

Main Attractions

When you are lucky enough to visit this mysterious city, pay attention to such sights:

Pyramid of Kukulkan in the city of Chichen Itza. A grand structure that had both ritual and astronomical significance. Dedicated to Kukulkan, a deity in the form of a feathered serpent with a human head, the patron of rain and wind. The pyramid is identified not only with Chichen Itza and, perhaps, with all the pre-Columbian civilizations of Central America.

It consists of nine steps, which are separated by stairs on each face of the pyramid, into two parts, which gives a pure 18 - the number of days in a month in the Mayan calendar. Each of the four stairs consists of 91 steps, i.e. in total 364, and in combination with the upper platform 365 - the number of days in a year. The faces of the pyramid are located strictly on the cardinal points, and each has 52 relief images, which corresponds to the number of years in the Mayan calendar cycle. At the foot of the northern staircase, a stone head of a snake is carved in such a way that the railing of the stairs is the snake's body.

On the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes, an interesting effect is observed. The shadow from the edge of the pyramid falls on the railing of the stairs in such a way that the illusion of the movement of a giant snake is created. At the top of the pyramid is the sanctuary of Kukulkan itself.

Not so long ago, scientists discovered another, more ancient pyramid under the pyramid of Kukulkan. It also has nine tiers, and inside it was kept the main symbol of the Mayan rulers - a stone throne, known as the Jaguar Mat.

Climbing the pyramid has been banned since 2006., and the traveler is left to be content with close-up contemplation, which, believe me, is not so little.

Other attractions in Chichen Itza

• Mayan Temple in Chichen Itza. A structure located on a four-stage pyramid. The railing of the central staircase is crowned with stone human figures. At the top is the temple itself, at the entrance to which there are two columns in the form of snakes, images of Kukulkan. Near the temple there are four rows of columns with images of warriors.
• Observatory. A round dome mounted on a square platform. Interestingly, the windows are located in such a way that they correspond to the position of celestial bodies relative to the earth.
• Ball game field. A platform measuring 168x70 m, surrounded by a high (up to 8 m) wall. A stone ring was set high on the wall, into which the players had to throw a rubber ball. The foot of the walls is decorated with images of human sacrifices. Moreover, many researchers are inclined to believe that these are the players of the losing team.
• Temple of the Jaguar. It is located on the east side of the ball court. It got its name because of the many images of a jaguar on its facade. Perhaps from here the priests watched the ball game.
• Temple of the Bearded Man. Located north of the ball court. Inside the temple, a relief was found depicting a man with a beard, which was the reason for such a name.
• Sacred Cenote or Well of Death. A natural karst depression with a diameter of up to 60 m and a depth of up to 50 m. It served to dump the bodies of people who were sacrificed.
• Group of a thousand columns. Ruins of columns that form a giant rectangle.
• Pyramid Tomb of the High Priest. A ten-meter pyramid, on top of which there is a platform with tombstones. It may have served as a burial place for the nobility or spiritual leaders of the Maya, from where it got its name.

Mayan warrior temple

How to get there

You can get to the Chichen Itza complex:

• from Merida, the journey by bus will take less than two hours and will cost $12 (first class) or $6.5 (second class);
• from Cancun, by bus for 2.5 hours and $16 (first class) or $12 (second class);

The most mysterious places on Earth: Maya. Chichen Itza - video

How did the Maya manage to create such an advanced culture that they predicted for our civilization, and why do thousands of people seeking spiritual enlightenment lay siege to these ruins every year? Can modern rites unlock the secrets of Chichen Itza? You will learn about this by watching the video. Enjoy watching!

• In 2007, the New Seven Wonders of the World competition was held, as a result of which the pyramids and the city of Chichen Itza itself in Mexico became the finalist of the project.
• UNESCO has recognized the Chichen Itza complex as an object of the material and cultural heritage of mankind.

Staying in the mysterious city of Chichen Itza leaves ambivalent feelings. On the one hand, you understand that you have touched a huge and not fully understood layer of history. On the other hand, the ubiquitous images and stories of guides about the human sacrifices that took place here are somewhat depressing.

Friends, what are your impressions of visiting this place? I look forward to your posts in the comments.

Chichen Itza - ancient city Mayan

Chichen Itza(Spanish) Chichen Itza) is an ancient Mayan city on the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico). The name, translated from the Mayan language, means "Near the entrance to the Itza well" or "The mouth of the well of water sorcerers." In a literal translation, “chi” from the Mayan language is translated as “mouth”, “chen” is a “well”, “itsa” is the name of the Mayan tribe, according to legend, they were the first to appear on our land. According to archaeologists and anthropologists, this city was built on the so-called "place of power".

This ancient Mayan city was founded by the Itza tribe around the 7th century. During the reign of King Kakupakal, in the second half of the 9th century, the city turned into an advanced power in the region. During this period, a number of majestic Puuc-style structures were built, such as the palace and the observatory, which the Spanish conquerors later nicknamed Caracol (Snail).

In the 10th century, the Itza tribe were defeated in a war with their neighbors and left the city for a while. After some time, itza, in alliance with the Toltecs, under the leadership of the priest Quetzalcoatl (Kukulkan), conquered Chichen. In 1047, Pochekishtsoy, a halach-vinik, turned Chichen Itza into the capital of his new Toltec-May state. During this period, new buildings appeared in the city, such as:

1. The step pyramid of Kukulkan, 24 meters high;
2. Temple of warriors on a 4-step pyramid;
3. Temple of the Jaguar;
4. A group of thousands of columns;
5. Sacred cenote - a well 50 meters deep for sacrifices;
6. A large 135-meter field for playing ball and other buildings.

In 1194, in the battle of Chichencheen, the Chichen troops were defeated by the Ushmals, the high priest of Kukulkan Hapaykan was captured and executed. After 222 days, the capital was captured and burned by the Mayapans, commanded by Hunakkeel. The ruler of Chichen Itza, Chakshibchak, fled to Peten Itza.
After 1244, Chichen Itza completely lost its independence and Mayapan ruled the city. At the end of the 15th century, the city was completely empty, leaving behind a number of large architectural monuments Mayan and Toltec eras. Statues of gods with characteristic Mayan plastic forms, reliefs depicting geometric and floral ornaments, and other works of art and crafts have also been preserved.

Chichen Itza is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the ancient city is the second most popular tourist attraction in Mexico. When going to Mexico, be sure to include Chichen Itza in your itinerary. In 2007, the Mayan city was listed as one of the New Wonders of the World.

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Why in the twelfth century one of the most developed cities of the Maya was deserted, Chichen Itza, no one knows: the policy of the Spanish conquistadors was aimed at the complete destruction of paganism, providing for the burning of manuscripts and the murder of priests, who, perhaps, could tell something about the mysterious past of their people. So the memory of this amazing city Mexico has come down to us only in stones.

Chichen Itza on the map is located in Mexico, 120 km southeast of Merida, the capital of the Yucatan Peninsula, and is currently not only one of the most famous cities of the Mayan period, but not without reason it is considered a new wonder of the world.

Previously, this settlement was called differently - "Uukil-abnal" ("Seven Bushes"). Chichen Itza received its current name a little later, when the fame of the well in which sacrifices were made spread to nearby areas, as a result of which the city was renamed the “Well of the Itza tribe”: “chi” meant “mouth”, “chen” - “well "And" itza "- this was the name of one of the Mayan tribes who founded the settlement.

The city of Chichen Itza at that time was quite large: its area was about 10 square meters. km. Despite the fact that only ruins remained from most of the buildings, some structures (mostly of a cult nature) are well preserved and are of great interest not only to scientists and researchers, but also to many inhabitants of our planet.

The life of this amazing wonder of the world in Mexico is divided by researchers into two stages.

Mayan culture period (VI-VII century)

Uukil-abnal was founded by representatives of the Mayan tribe, who arrived on the peninsula from the south of the continent, according to one version in the middle of the 5th century, according to another, two centuries later. Since the Maya were very well versed in astronomy, Chichen Itza was built taking into account the position in the sky of various astronomical bodies, which played an important role in their beliefs and traditions (for this purpose, they even built an observatory in the city).

The inhabitants of the city were considered excellent craftsmen and skilled artists (as evidenced by the found sculptures of gods, various crafts, as well as bas-reliefs with floral and geometric ornaments).

Toltec period (X-XI centuries)

In the tenth century, Chichen Itza came under the rule of the Toltecs (one of the tribes of the Uto-Aztec language group), as a result of which the number of inhabitants increased sharply, presumably to 20-30 thousand people.

The culture of this people could not but affect both the architecture of the city and its religion: the Toltecs practiced frequent human sacrifices, an example of which is a well, at the bottom of which a huge number of human remains were found, mostly men and children.

True, the Toltecs did not stay here for long: they left the city after the defeat of their troops in 1178. And fourteen years later, Chichen Itza was abandoned by the inhabitants completely, began to collapse, and by the time the Spaniards appeared in Mexico, only ruins remained from it.

Acoustics of Chichen Itza

All buildings in Chichen Itza are located in such a way that they create an amazing acoustic effect that amplifies the sound many times over. This is especially noticeable in the stadium of the ancient Toltecs: if people who were in temples located on opposite sides of the field wanted to talk to each other, they could easily do this without fear that someone would hear them (of course, if they did not stand nearby )!

Such a “telephone” effect was discovered by chance and what knowledge should have been locals to achieve it, scientists are not yet able to explain.

The Most Remarkable Maya Buildings

All the main buildings of Chichen Itza are located on the largest square, in the center of which the temple of the main deity of the city, Kukulkan, was erected.

Pyramid

The most remarkable building of Chichen Itza is the famous pyramid of Kukulkan, the feathered serpent, the supreme god of winds and rains. It was erected on the foundation of an earlier structure. The height of the pyramid is 30 meters, the length of each side is 55 m. Each side of the pyramid is oriented to one of the cardinal points.

The pyramid has nine tiers. At the top is a temple 6 meters high - sacrifices were made on it. The temple can be reached by one of the four stairs, each of which expands upward, creating an optical illusion of a completely flat staircase.

These stairs divide each side of the pyramid in two - thus, the number of tiers of each side in total is eighteen (that is how many months the Mayan calendar year has). Each staircase has 91 steps. Scientists have noticed: if their number is multiplied by the number of stairs and the top floor is added, it turns out 365 - that is how many days a calendar year has.

This pyramid is notable for the fact that during the spring and autumn equinoxes, the god himself, Kukulkan, crawls along it, thereby showing people a real miracle.

The rays of the sun fall on one side of the temple of Kukulkan so that, thanks to the play of light and shadow, seven equilateral triangles appear on it. These figures form the body of a huge snake 37 m long, which, as the sun moves, crawls down the pyramid to its head, located at the base of the stairs. You can watch the movement of this wonder of the world for 3 hours and 22 minutes.

Inside the pyramid, archaeologists have found several secret rooms, in one of which there was a throne carved from stone in the shape of a jaguar, painted in orange (Jaguar Mat).

The eyes and spots of the beast are made of jade, and the claws of the ancient masters were carved from volcanic stone. A figure was discovered here, which archaeologists later named Chak Mool.

It depicts a man holding a dish with gifts intended for the gods, and is located opposite the door leading to the temple of the Warriors and, judging by the deciphered records, was a symbol of Chichen Itza.

Temple of the Warriors

Temple of the Warriors is on the west side central square and was erected on a low four-tier pyramid, the base of which was 40 x 40 m. On the walls of the temple, you can see images of sacred animals carved from stone, and it is crowned by the figure of the main god of the city, Kukulkan.

Inside the building there are several spacious halls, and the entrance is decorated with massive columns in the form of snakes, whose heads are below, and their tails are directed to the sky. Behind the snakes are four giants (atlanta) holding a stone altar.

colonnades

Near the temple of the Warriors, you can see a platform with four rows of columns, each of which is three meters long. Each column is decorated with embossed images of Indian warriors (because of this, the nearby temple got its name). According to the assumptions of some scholars, in former times, a reed roof was installed on these pillars, under which the city's bazaar was located.

Observatory Caracol

Chichen Itza had its own observatory - a round building towering on a double stone platform with small windows through which the priests had the opportunity to observe the starry sky. Inside the observatory is a spiral staircase resembling a shell, which is why the building got its name (“Karakol” means “snail”).

Ball courts

There were about 12 ball courts (pot-ta-pok) in the ancient city. The largest of them was built no later than 864 AD, was 135 m long, 68 wide, and the height of its walls was 12 meters (at the same time, the rings where the Mayans were supposed to throw the ball were fixed at the level of eight meters).

Four temples were located on each side of the stadium, each of which was oriented to a certain side of the world.

The Indians played with a rubber ball weighing about four kilograms - it could be beaten off with a stone bat, and touched with any parts of the body, except for the arms and legs. This game was hard, cruel, lasted several hours (the rings were located high enough so that they could be so easily hit) and ended with sacrifices: the captain of the losing team was beheaded right at the stadium, sacrificing to the sun god.

How the whole process of the game took place can be judged by the engraved scenes on the bas-reliefs of the stadium (for example, here you can see a headless player, near which his executioner raises his severed head).

Well

Another attraction that Chichen Itza became famous for and after which the city got its name is a natural well with a depth of about 50 meters that served for sacrifices. You can get to it along a three-hundred-meter paved road, the width of which is ten meters.

The well is striking in its size:

• The diameter of the well is 60 meters;
• Depth - 82 meters;
• The water starts at a depth of 20 meters from the edge.

This well was sacred: people were thrown into it. Despite the fact that in former times it was believed that this fate befell young beautiful girls, divers, having descended to the bottom, refuted this hypothesis by raising about 50 skeletons from the bottom, which belonged mainly to men and children. Why exactly they were sacrificed - Chichen Itza still keeps this secret.