Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is the oldest city in Mexico, which served as the political and cultural center of the Maya. Its location is the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula. The city is small and stretches for 6 km. The name of the ancient city of Chichen Itza has several translations, the meaning of which is "The mouth of the well of the Itza tribe." According to scientists, the main religious force was located here, which is associated with the culture and faith of the Maya peoples.
The ruins of an ancient city in the middle of Mexico are divided into two main groups. The first category includes those remains that were erected around the 6th—7th centuries A.D., when the culture of the Maya peoples prevailed here. The buildings on this territory in the 10th—11th centuries AD are associated with the Toltecs, who conquered Chichen Itza at that time. According to sources, Chichen Itza was the capital of Toltec in the 11th century.
Among all the attractions of the ancient Mexican city, the pyramid of Kukulkan deserves special attention, which is 25 meters high, and a temple is located on its uppermost platform. The sides of the base of the pyramid have a size of 55.5 meters, and the building itself consists of 9 levels. There are stairs leading up to the pyramid, which have 91 steps each. The real decoration of the stairs are sculptures in the form of snakes' heads, which is the symbol of Kukulkan.
Scientists believe that the pyramid of Kukulkan, located in the middle of the city, has an astronomical character and most of all that it served as a kind of calendar.
Quite well preserved, the "Temple of Warriors" remains, which today is a significant landmark of Chichen Itza. This structure has survived to this day without a roof, but the details themselves have been well preserved. There are many columns erected here, which symbolize the warriors. Among these structures there is a sculpture of Chak-Mool, which is an image of the deity of the Totelian population. The sculpture's hands hold a tray where parishioners brought gifts and lit a fire.
Archaeologists have found a number of well-preserved structures in the ancient settlement of Chichen Itza, including 4 colonnades, an observatory, several stadiums, as well as many different sculptures.
According to history, around 1200, the locals left Chichen Itza, which was caused by the conquest of the city by the army of Mayapan.
The ancient city of Chichen Itza was added to the UNESCO list and today, it is a very popular tourist destination. The archaeologically important excavations of the city are mysterious, which is connected with the culture and faith of the Maya tribe. All this makes excursions to ancient Chichen Itza special and unique.
