Jake Harper
The ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico is an archaeological complex that includes temples, a ball court, platforms, columns, an observatory, and cenotes. The name Chichen Itza means 'Mouth of the Well of the Itza'. The most recognisable feature of Chichen Itza is '
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Chichen Itza |
| Location | Yucatan state, Mexico |
| Founded | 6th century CE |
| Founded By | Mayan peoples |
| Conquered | 10th century |
| Conquered By | Foreign invaders |
| Main Attraction | El Castillo ("The Castle") |
| El Castillo Type | Toltec-style pyramid |
| El Castillo Height | 79 feet (24 meters) |
| El Castillo Other Names | Temple of Kukulcan, Temple of Kukulcán |
| El Castillo Features | Sculptures, human remains, sacrificial altar, possible entrance to hell |
| Other Structures | The Great North Platform, The Osario Group, The Central Group, The High Priest's Grave, Colonnade (Thousand Columns), Temple of Warriors, Temple of Jaguars, Temple of Xtoloc, Las Monjas, Akab Dzib, Caracol, La Iglesia ("The Church"), El Osario |
| Visitors | 2 million annually |
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What You'll Learn
- El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcán, is a pyramid that rises 79 feet above the plaza
- The Temple of Kukulcán is named after a Mayan deity that appears as a feathered serpent
- The Temple of Warriors is one of the three best-known complexes at Chichén Itzá
- The High Priest's Temple was named as such because several skeletons and jade beads were found by Edward H. Thompson
- The Temple of Xtoloc is a recently restored temple outside the Osario Platform
El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcán, is a pyramid that rises 79 feet above the plaza
El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcán, is a pyramid that rises 79 feet (24 metres) above the plaza at Chichen Itza, an ancient Mayan city in Mexico's Yucatán state. The pyramid, built in the Toltec style, is the most recognisable feature of the archaeological complex, which also includes temples, a ball court, platforms, columns, an observatory, and cenotes.
El Castillo is formally designated as Structure 5B18 by archaeologists. It is believed to have been constructed after invaders conquered the ancient Mayan city in the 10th century. The temple is named after a Mayan deity that appears as a feathered serpent.
The pyramid is associated with the cult of the rain gods, or Chacs, and was the site of regular offerings that included precious objects such as jade, gold, and copper, as well as human sacrifices. The structure also has a unique echo designed to sound like a bird call.
In the 2010s, archaeologists discovered what they believe to be a cenote, or large sinkhole, below the base of El Castillo. This depression is similar to Chichén Itzá's Sacred Cenote, located at the city's northernmost end. The pyramid was once open to visitors but is now closed to the public.
Chichen Itza, occupying an area of 4 square miles (10 square kilometres), became a significant archaeological site in the mid-1800s and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. Today, it continues to be an important site, attracting around 2 million tourists annually who come to explore its architectural wonders and gain insight into Mayan history and culture.
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The Temple of Kukulcán is named after a Mayan deity that appears as a feathered serpent
The Temple of Kukulcán, also known as El Castillo, is a Mesoamerican step pyramid located in the Mexican state of Yucatán. It is the dominant structure in the centre of the Chichen Itza archaeological site, which was founded around the 6th century CE by the Mayan people.
The name Kukulcán is derived from the Yucatec Maya language, where it is spelt Kʼukʼulkan and pronounced as "Koo-kool-kan". The name is a combination of the words “kuk” meaning feather, and “kan” meaning snake, thus directly translating to "feathered serpent". In the Tzotzil language, Kukulcán is known as Kʼukʼul-chon, with "chon" also meaning snake.
Kukulcán is a deity closely associated with the Itza state in the northern Yucatán Peninsula. The worship of Kukulcán has its origins in earlier Maya traditions, with the Itza worship being heavily influenced by the Quetzalcoatl religion of central Mexico. Kukulcán was the chief god of the Yucatec Maya people, representing the feathered serpent and serving as a symbol of life and a connection between the gods and humanity.
At Chichen Itza, Kukulcán symbolised the divinity of the territory rather than the Vision Serpent messenger between the king and the gods. The Temple of Kukulcán is a significant structure honouring the deity, and its design incorporates astronomical alignments. The north face of the temple has an azimuth of 111.72°, corresponding to sunsets on May 20 and July 24, with a separation of 65 and 300 days, which are multiples of 13 and 20.
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The Temple of Warriors is one of the three best-known complexes at Chichén Itzá
Chichen Itza is a ruined ancient Mayan city occupying an area of 4 square miles in south-central Yucatan State, Mexico. It is one of the most famous pre-European cities of Mesoamerica and was likely founded in the 6th century CE by Mayan peoples who had occupied the region since the Pre-Classic Period.
The Temple of the Warriors is one of the most impressive and important structures at Chichén Itzá. It is made up of four platforms, flanked on the south and west sides by 200 round and square columns. The square columns are carved in bas-relief with Toltec warriors, and in some places, they are cemented together in sections, painted in brilliant colours, and covered with plaster. The entrance to the temple is through a broad stairway with a plain, stepped ramp on either side, with each ramp featuring figures of standard-bearers holding flags. Before the main entrance lies a Chaac Mool, which means "great red jaguar" in Yucatecan Mayan. The Chaac Mool is a significant Mayan sculpture, and the type of figure is associated with the Toltecs and was first present in Mesoamerica at the beginning of the post-classical period. On the top, serpent columns with S-shaped supported wooden lintels above the doorways have been lost over the years, but astronomical signs and decorative features on the head of each serpent are still visible.
The Temple of Warriors was restored between 1925 and 1928 by the Carnegie Institution of Washington, with a key member of this restoration being Earl H. Morris, who published the work from this expedition in two volumes entitled "Temple of the Warriors".
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The High Priest's Temple was named as such because several skeletons and jade beads were found by Edward H. Thompson
Chichen Itza is a ruined ancient Mayan city occupying an area of 4 square miles (10 square km) in south-central Yucatan state, Mexico. It was founded about the 6th century CE, presumably by Mayan peoples who had occupied the region since the Pre-Classic Period. The buildings of Chichen Itza are grouped in a series of architectonic sets, and each set was once separated by low walls. The three most well-known complexes are the Great North Platform, the Osario Group, and the Central Group. The Great North Platform includes monuments such as the Temple of Kukulcán (El Castillo), the Temple of Warriors, and the Great Ball Court. The Osario Group includes the pyramid of the same name and the Temple of Xtoloc, while the Central Group includes the Caracol, Las Monjas, and Akab Dzib.
The High Priest's Temple, also known as the Ossario, is one of the structures within the Chichen Itza site. The name "The High Priest's Temple" was given to the structure by Edward H. Thompson, who excavated the site in the late 19th century. Thompson discovered several skeletons and artifacts, including jade beads, which led him to believe that the site was a tomb and that the individuals buried there were high-ranking priests. However, modern archaeologists disagree with Thompson's interpretation and do not believe that the structure was a tomb or that the individuals buried there were priests.
Edward Herbert Thompson, despite lacking formal training in archaeology or anthropology, made significant contributions to the field through his exploration and excavation of Mayan sites. He lived in Mérida, Yucatán, for forty years and became fluent in Spanish and the Yucatec Maya language. Thompson's discoveries at Chichen Itza include the earliest dated carving upon a lintel in the Temple of the Initial Series and the excavation of several graves in the High Priest's Temple. He was particularly interested in the astronomical observatory within the temple complex.
In addition to his work at Chichen Itza, Thompson explored and excavated several other sites in the Maya Puuc region, including Loltun and Labná. He also located and excavated a small site he named X'Kichmook. Thompson created plaster casts of Maya sculptures and architecture, which were exhibited at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1894. He played a crucial role in preserving the cultural legacy of the Mayan people, which had been largely overlooked during the colonization process in the Americas.
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The Temple of Xtoloc is a recently restored temple outside the Osario Platform
Chichen Itza is a ruined ancient Mayan city occupying an area of 4 square miles (10 square km) in south-central Yucatan state, Mexico. It was founded in the 6th century CE, presumably by Mayan peoples who had occupied the region since the Pre-Classic Period. The buildings of Chichen Itza are grouped in a series of architectonic sets, and each set was once separated by low walls.
The three best-known complexes are the Great North Platform, which includes the Temple of Kukulcán (El Castillo), the Temple of Warriors, and the Great Ball Court; the Osario Group, which includes the Osario pyramid and the Temple of Xtoloc; and the Central Group, which includes the Caracol, Las Monjas, and Akab Dzib. The Temple of Xtoloc is a recently restored temple outside the Osario Platform. It overlooks the other large cenote at Chichen Itza, named after the Mayan word for iguana, "Xtoloc". The temple contains a series of pilasters carved with images of people, as well as representations of plants, birds, and mythological scenes.
The Osario platform terminates in a wall, which contains an opening to a sacbe that runs several hundred feet to the Xtoloc temple. South of the Osario, at the boundary of the platform, there are two small buildings that archaeologists believe were residences for important personages. These have been named the House of the Metates and the House of the Mestizas. South of the Osario Group is another small platform that has several structures that are among the oldest in the Chichen Itza archaeological zone.
The Temple of Kukulcán, also known as El Castillo, is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza archaeological site. The north (main) face of the temple has an azimuth of 111.72°, corresponding to sunsets on May 20 and July 24, separated by 13 and 20 days. The Temple of the Warriors is another notable structure at Chichen Itza, located north of the court.
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Frequently asked questions
Chichen Itza is an ancient Mayan city occupying an area of 4 square miles in south-central Yucatan state, Mexico. It is an archaeological complex that includes several temples, one of which is El Castillo, also known as the Temple of Kukulcan or the Pyramid of Kukulcan.
The name Chichen Itza means 'Mouth of the Well of the Itza'. The well in the name refers to a number of underground rivers that run beneath the region, which likely served as the source of water for the city.
El Castillo (Spanish for 'the castle') is a Toltec-style pyramid that rises 79 feet (24 meters) above the plaza at Chichen Itza. It is also known as the Temple of Kukulcan, named for a Mayan deity that appears as a feathered serpent.
Other notable structures at Chichen Itza include the Temple of Warriors, the Temple of Jaguars, the Temple of Xtoloc, Las Monjas ('The Nuns' or 'The Nunnery'), and El Osario, another step-pyramid structure with a temple at its peak.
