One of the largest Mayan cities, just under 90 minutes from Mérida and just over two hours from Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Chichén has also become one of Mexico’s most popular tourist sites. It was a going concern from around 600 to 1200 AD, with a diversity of styles and influences, including non-Mayan. Key structures, include El Castillo (the Castle, aka the Temple of Kukulkán, the “feathered serpent” god also known as Quetzalcoátl), the Caracol (Snail’s Shell, thought to have been used as an observatory), the Casa de las Monjas (House of the Nuns, though it was actually a government building), and the ball court. Along a path away from the main complex are two cenotes (natural, water-filled sinkholes), which the locals used both as a water source and a place to throw sacrificial objects as well as human sacrifices.
Read more in my post 12 of the Top Archaeological Sites on Mexico´s Yucatan Peninsula.
Comments