“The city of the water sorcerers”.
Chichén Itzá is one of the main archaeological sites of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It was and is a sacred city and Mayan pilgrimage centre founded by the Itza, the so-called water sorcerers, in the 5th century AD.
The Maya developed one of the most fascinating and enigmatic cultures of humankind in the heart of the dense jungles of Chiapas, Guatemala, Yucatan, Honduras, and Belize. Although the habitat in which they settled was not very conducive to urban development, they achieved great splendour. Between the 3rd and 10th centuries AD, the Classic Maya in the south built cities such as Tikal, Copan, Quirigua, Palenque and Piedras Negras, ruled by divine and intriguing kings, who are known today to have struggled constantly to increase their power.
When the Spaniards arrived on the shores of the Yucatan in the early 16th century, the Mayan cities were already abandoned and most of the population lived in rural areas. Therefore, nothing led us to suspect that these peasant peoples had a great past, full of artistic and scientific achievements. However, Chichén Itzá still retained its aura of a sacred site, to such an extent that the Spaniard Francisco de Montejo, conqueror of Yucatán, raised the possibility of establishing the capital of the province in the city, although the idea did not prosper later.
The buildings of Chichen Itza are among the most impressive of the Mayan culture and have one of the New Seven Wonders of the World: The Castle or Pyramid of Kukulcan.
But Chichén Itzá is not only the pyramid of Kukulcán, it also has many buildings with a lot of history and colours.
- Pyramid of Chichen Itza
- The ball game
- Tzompantli
- Platform of eagles and jaguars
- Platform of Venus
- Temple of the warriors
- The group of the thousand columns
- The marketplace
- The sacred cenote
- The temazcal
- The ossuary
- The House of the Deer
Undoubtedly, the most important event in Chichén Itzá is the Spring Equinox. The Pyramid of Kukulcan is built in such a way that on March 21st, when the sun rises, the rays touch the end of its staggered bodies, projecting the figure of the descending serpent on the main staircase.
Also popular is the Light and Sound event, which takes place every night except during the rainy season. Known as “The Night of the Mayas”, the show narrates the history of the city, its splendour and, finally, its decadence and abandonment.
