Chichen Itza
"at the edge of the well of the Itzáes"...
Chichen Itza
It means in the Mayan language "the city on the edge of the well of the Itzáes". It was declared by UNESCO in 1988 a World Heritage Site and since 2007 a wonder of the world.
Chichén Itzá is located 120 km east of the city of Mérida. It was founded by the Itza in the 9th century AD. , and invaded at the end of the 10th century by the Toltecs, which brought a new series of cultural elements, mainly the representation of the serpent God, known as Kukulkán or feathered serpent.
MAYAN ASTRONOMY AND ARCHITECTURE
The city of Chichén Itzá was abandoned in 1250 AD. For reasons still unknown, however it was so important that it remained a place of pilgrimage and worship, such that in 1540 A.D. when the conqueror Francisco de Montejo arrived, he thought about the alternative of founding what would be the city of Mérida there.
The most outstanding structures of Chichén Itzá are the Kukulkan castle, the complex of the snail or Observatory, the temple of the thousand columns, the temple of the Eagles and Jaguars, the temple of the warriors inside which is the temple of Chac Mool . We cannot stop considering the ball game and the sacred cenote.
During the dusk of the spring and autumn equinoxes, a wonderful spectacle happens at the Kukulkán pyramid, as the sun descends towards the horizon on the western rafter, triangles of light and shadow are created which resemble a snake that descends to its base. This allows us to confirm the great level of astronomical and architectural knowledge that the Mayans possessed.
