home Bleak Chichen Itza porridge helps to lose weight. Chichen Itza Mexico - Ancient Mayan City Travel Photo

Chichen Itza porridge helps to lose weight. Chichen Itza Mexico - Ancient Mayan City Travel Photo

Chichen Itza - ancient Mayan city

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 of the Maya and Toltec era. 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.

Temple of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza

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

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

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

Four staircases lead to the top of the temple, oriented to the cardinal points. The stairs are accompanied by a balustrade starting with a snake's head. On the days of the equinox, the lighting creates an interesting effect: it seems that the Serpent Kukulkan begins to crawl out of its lair.

Serpent head

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

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

Temple of Kukulkan

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

Jaguar Throne

The Jaguar mat is the ruler's throne, carved from stone, resembling the figure of a jaguar. The throne is inlaid with 73 jade disks in the form of jaguar spots. They are filled with the eyes of the beast. The first owners of the throne include Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, the founder of the Toltecs.

Temple of the Warriors at Chichen Itza

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

This building completely copies the temple of Quetzalcoatl in Tollan. The Toltec leader Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, before uniting the tribes and making major conquests, lost this city. So that in the new place he would be reminded of the past glory, a copy of this temple was built.

In front of the stairs of the temple there are 60 patterned columns 2.6 meters high, arranged in four rows. Previously, these columns had a roof, from which, alas, nothing remains now. Everywhere in the temple there are images of warriors - hence its name. As well as in all the temples of the Toltecs, human sacrifices were made here.

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

Chuck Mool

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

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

Video about Chichen Itza

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 the settlement a key importance.

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.

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 come down to modern times, 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.

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.

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.

Chichen Itza is one of the few ancient cities that have been partially restored during excavations. It is located in Mexico near Cancun. Previously, it was the political and cultural center of the Maya civilization. And although today the territory is abandoned by the inhabitants, the attraction is a UNESCO heritage, so tourists come to see the ancient buildings not in the photo, but with their own eyes.

Historical summary of Chichen Itza

From history, everyone knows about the Mayan tribe, but by the time the Spaniards landed on the Yucatan Peninsula, only scattered settlements remained from the large population. The ancient city of Chichen Itza is an irrefutable confirmation that once a civilization was very powerful, and the knowledge that it possessed can still surprise today.

The beginning of the construction of the city dates back to the 6th century. Architecture can be roughly divided into two periods: Mayan and Toltec cultures. The first buildings appeared in the 6th-7th centuries, subsequent buildings were erected after the capture of the area by the Toltecs in the 10th century.

In 1178 the city was partially destroyed after the invasion of Hunak Keel. In 1194, the previously prosperous center was almost completely empty. It was still used for pilgrimage purposes, but for unknown reasons, the inhabitants never returned to the city with unusual architecture and infrastructure developed at that time. In the 16th century, it was already completely abandoned, as the Spanish conquerors came across only ruins.

Sights of the ancient city

When visiting Chichen Itza, it is difficult to ignore the monumental buildings of the city, which even today surprise with their scale. The visiting card is the Temple of Kukulkan, a pyramid 24 meters high. The Maya worshiped divine beings in the form of feathered snakes, so they hid an amazing miracle in the design features of the Pyramid of Kukulkan.

On the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes, the sun's rays fall on the slopes of the building so that they create the shadows of the seven equilateral triangles. These geometric figures are combined into a single whole and form a snake crawling along the pyramid, 37 meters in size. The spectacle lasts almost 3.5 hours and annually gathers a huge crowd around it.

Also, during the excursions, they necessarily talk about the Temple of the Warriors and the Temple of the Jaguars, painted with unusual drawings. At the Temple of Warriors, you can see the ruins of a thousand columns, each with images of warriors. In those days, astronomy was of great importance for the inhabitants, so it is not surprising that there is an observatory in the ancient city. The staircase has a spiral shape, so the building is called Karakol, which translates as "snail".

One of the darkest places in the city is the Sacred Cenote, where there is a well with the remains of animals and people. During the Toltec period, sacrifice played a key role in religion, but many children's skeletons have been found here. Scholars still cannot figure out why children were needed for the rites. Perhaps this secret will remain hidden within the walls of Chichen Itza.

For the Maya, astronomy was put at the head of everything, a lot of nuances in architecture are associated with the passage of time and calendar features. So, for example, the Temple of Kukulkan consists of nine tiers, on each side a staircase divides the pyramid in half. As a result, 18 tiers are formed, the same number of months in the Mayan calendar. Each of the four stairs has exactly 91 steps, which in total with the upper pedestal is 365 pieces, and this is the number of days in a year.

Interestingly, the locals liked to play pot-ta-pok with a ball. Several playgrounds are proof of this. The largest reaches 135 meters in length and 68 in width. Around it are temples, one on each side of the world. Guides usually show you how to get to the sports fields and explain the rules of the game.

Chichen Itza can easily surprise you, because the city impresses with its scope. It seems that everything in it was thought out to the smallest detail, which is why it is not clear for what reasons the inhabitants left it. The mystery of history may forever remain unsolved, and this is even more interesting for tourists.

One of the most famous places that should definitely be visited by all tourists traveling in Mexico is the ancient city of Chichen Itza. In translation, its name means "Mouth of the well of water sorcerers" or "Place near the well of the Itza tribe." This place is mysterious, very colorful and even a little ominous.

Chichez Itza - World Cultural Heritage Site

In the past, the city was the political and cultural center of the Maya-Toltec civilization. And now, having become one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, it attracts a huge number of tourists. According to rough estimates, more than a million people visit this archaeological complex every year. Chichen Itza gained immense popularity not only due to the fact that it is quite well preserved. It has become the quintessence of religious beliefs and ideas about the structure of the universe and the surrounding world. A special influx of tourists occurred in December 2012. Believing in an ancient prophecy, many adherents of the famous calendar rushed to Chichen Itza, wanting to "meet" the end of the world among the ancient Mayan structures.

Chichen Itza: history of occurrence

It is rather difficult to reliably describe the history of the creation of the city, since there are practically no manuscripts describing the ancient events of Chichen Itza - they were destroyed by the Spanish conquerors. Archaeologists believe that people first began to settle in this place from the 4th century, and the first city buildings began to be erected around the 6th - 7th centuries. At the same time, an urban community arose. Until the 10th century Chichen Itza was the home of the Mayan Indians. And by the end of the X century. the city was conquered by the conquerors from Central Mexico - the Toltecs, who practiced sacrifices and served the cult of the Feathered Serpent. They did not begin to destroy Chichen Itza, but on the contrary, they were firmly rooted in it. During the reign of the Toltecs, the city became one of the most powerful settlements in the Yucatan Peninsula. From the 11th century the Toltecs made it the capital of their empire. Over time, it gradually changed and more and more acquired Toltec features. The symbiosis of two peculiar cultures made the ancient city truly unique. For unknown reasons, at the end of the XII century. it was abandoned by the inhabitants and overgrown with jungle. Only in 1920 did archaeologists discover its mysterious structures to the world.

The main attractions of the ancient Mayan city

The most famous building of the ancient city is the pyramid of Kukulkan (or otherwise - the pyramid of El Castillo). In 2007, she entered the list of the seven new wonders of the world. Chichen Itza was built in the 11th century. joint efforts of the Maya and Toltec Indians. They erected a grandiose monument dedicated to the wind, Quetzalcoatl, which had the appearance of a feathered serpent with a human head. The Maya Indians called the deity Kukulkan, that is, "feathered serpent." This building was created on the basis of Mayan and Toltec cosmological and calendar knowledge. It reaches a height of 24 m, and its faces face all four cardinal points. At the top of the pyramid is a platform, which in ancient times was used for making sacrifices.

Four steep and wide stairs lead to the site, each of which consists of 91 steps, which in total (together with the upper platform) gives a sign number 365, equal to the number of days in a solar year. On each side of the pyramid there are 18 sections - terraces. This number is also symbolic. It is equal to the number of months in the Mayan calendar. In addition, there are 52 stone reliefs on each of the four sides of the pyramid. They represent the coincidence of the special calendar cycles of the Toltecs - the daily xiupoualli and the daily tonalpoualli - occurring once every 52 years. Interestingly, inside the sanctuary there is another nine-stage pyramid, the entrance to which was found relatively recently. There is a relic - "Jaguar Mat" and a statue of "Chuck Mool".

The second unique attraction of the city of Chichen Itza in Mexico is the famous Temple of the Warriors. It is located right behind the pyramid of El Castillo and is a monumental five-step pyramid, reaching a height of 11.5 m.

It is surrounded on all sides by columns made in the form of Toltec warriors. That is why the pyramid got its name. At its top is a temple, consisting of a hall and a sanctuary. An impressive staircase surrounded by balustrades leads to the temple. The entrance to the sanctuary is marked by snakes carved from stone. In the temple there is a stone altar resembling a low table, the legs of which are made in the form of human figures. There is also an ugly stone idol of the Toltec deity Chak-Mool - a reclining demon holding a large empty dish in his hands and pressing it to his stomach. It is believed that it was on this dish that the priests burned the hearts of their victims.

Another mysterious attraction of the ancient Mayan city is the "Sacred Cenote"

Not only the pyramids of Chichen Itza in Mexico deserve the attention of many tourists. To the north of the El Castillo monument is another mysterious attraction called the Sacred Cenote (otherwise known as the Well of Death). This karst formation, unlike other wells, did not serve the Toltecs as a source of fresh water.

Priests threw victims into it, glorifying their gods. The "well of death" had a depth of 50 m and was considered a kind of portal to the other world. In the period from 1910 - 1925. it was explored by Herbert Thompson, who extracted from it a large number of antiquities: gold, ceramics, rubber, obsidian and, of course, many human remains.

Pyramid of Ossuari

In Chichen Itza, there is another karst formation - the Shtolok cenote, which is located south of the Temple of Kukulkan. It, unlike the "Well of Death", was used by the Toltecs exclusively as a source of drinking water. A little later, the scientist G. Thompson also explored another interesting Chichen Itza pyramid - Osuari (otherwise - the Crypt).

It, like the Temple of Kukulkan, was built with stairs on each of its four sides. Interestingly, in the center of the pyramid there is a deep vertical hole leading to a natural cave. In it, Thompson found several interesting jade artifacts, as well as human remains.

ball court

Another ominous attraction of the city of Chichen Itza is Tzompantli. It is a T-shaped platform, the walls of which are decorated with relief images of skulls.

Used by Tzompantli to display the heads of victims as well as prisoners of war. To the west of the Temple of Skulls is one of the nine ball courts, striking in its grandiose size. Its length is 168 m and its width is about 70 m. It is believed that it was built in 864 AD. To the east of the site is the Temple of the Jaguar, which includes two shrines. The upper sanctuary is located on the wall that bounds the site. Probably from here they watched the ball game. The lower sanctuary is located on the outside of the site. Near its entrance there is a monument - a figure of a jaguar. In the northern part of the playground is another building - the Temple of the Bearded Man. A staircase leads to its entrance, divided by two pillars. Inside the temple is decorated with a relief, in the center of which is the figure of a man with a beard.

Observatory Caracol

To the south of the ball court there are several other attractions, including the Red House - a building with a red facade - and Caracol (translated as "snail shell") - a tower built on a platform. It is believed that it was used by the Maya Indians for observing astronomical objects, calculations, and therefore Caracol is otherwise called the Observatory.

South of the tower is another powerful Toltec structure, which the Spaniards called the "Convent" for its majestic and impregnable appearance. It reaches a height of 20 m, and its base is 70 m by 35 m. A wide staircase leads to the entrance to the monastery. The building itself is decorated with masks of the god Chak and various relief patterns.

How to get to the ancient city of Chichen Itza?

This world cultural heritage site is located 1.5 km from the small Mexican settlement of Piste, located between the two major cities of the northern Yucatan - Cancun and Merida. You can get to the city of Chichen Itza on your own by renting a car or using a bus (a ticket for it costs from 80 to 140 pesos, depending on the class). A taxi will cost you much more than public transport, since the distance from Cancun or Merida is not close, about 200 km and 120 km, respectively. The archaeological zone is open to visitors daily, from 8:00 to 17:00. If you want to save money - go sightseeing Maya and Toltec on Sunday, admission is free.