Chichen Itza is the most famous of all the great Mayan cities. This is somewhat ironic because its most famous structures do not have a typical Classic Mayan architecture but show strong influences from other civilizations from Central Mexico. It is also the most developed of the many Mayan ruins and can get crowded. But the combination of grant scale monuments and the mysterious precise astronomical calculation in the buildings make Chichen Itza truly amazing.
The Maya name “Chich’en Itza” means “At the mouth of the well of the Itza”. This well is probably the Sacred Cenote, one of two large natural sink holes found at the site. Itzá is the name of an ethnical Maya group that may have originated from the city of Motul de San José near lake Peten Itza in Guatemala. Itza means ‘enchanted waters’ and may refer to this lake. From there they migrated to Yucatan during the Maya collapse at the end of the Classic Period. After Chichen Itza collapsed itself centuries later they left the Yucatán region and returned south again to build the city of Tayasal (modern-day Flores) on a small island in Lake Petén Itzá.
Temple of Kukulkan. Photo by kyle simourd
History
Unraveling Chichén history has proved to be a difficult task despite the fact that many excavations have been carried out. One reason for this is that fewer stelae and other glyph inscribed monuments were built here as in the Classic Mayan cities of the south.
In the most widely accepted view, Chichen Itza emerged as an important city around 700 AD as a result of the unification of several different groups in the Yucatan, driven there by a series of crises in other parts of Mesoamerica. Around 650 AD the huge capital of Teotihuacan in central Mexico collapsed and it is likely that some inhabitants migrated towards the Yucatan. Around the same time refugees from Tikal and its allies who had lost the war against Calakmul might also have arrived in the region. Although the true origins of the founders remain uncertain, in chronicles written after the Spanish Conquest the founders of Chichen Itza were always identified as a group of ‘foreigners’. However, the founders also included people who were clearly situated within more traditional Yucatan Mayan culture.
Chichen Itza therefore, was always a hybrid community influenced by a mix of people from different parts of Mesoamerica. This in contract with its great rival, Cobá, who had a purely Mayan background. Over time, Chichen Itza moved even further away from Classic Mayan culture leaving behind earlier traditions. Between 800 and 950, Chichen was a major power in the region, and after a decisive victory over Coba, few rivals remained.
When and how Chichen declined remains uncertain. According to Maya chronicles its neighbor Mayapan conquered Chichen Itza in the 13th century but archaeological data indicates that Chichen Itza already fell by around 1000 AD. One theory claims that the Toltecs conquered Chichen Itza around this time as some of Chichen’s most spectacular buildings have a style that is unquestionably related to those of central America. However, recent research has show that many of these buildings were already built in the 9th century while Mayan carvings have been found on Toltec buildings. The true direction of the Maya-Toltec connection therefore remains a source of debate. Whatever caused its collapse, the structures of Chichén Itzá were eventually overgrown with jungle and slowly decayed until major archaeological excavations started in the 1920s.
Highlights
Photo by grahamc99Located in the center of an open court stands the 99 feet (30 m) high Temple of Kukulkan, also referred to as El Castillo (the castle in Spanish). Dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is the most famous landmark of the Chichén Itzá ruins. On the Spring and Autumn equinox, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth.
The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform , equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge.
The Chichen Itza Mayan ruins contain no less than 8 ball courts, but the Great Ball Court is by far the most impressive. At 545 by 223 feet (166 x 68 m) it is the largest ball court in Mesoamerica measuring. It was dedicated in 864 AD and is radically different than any other Mayan ball court, which are smaller and have sloping sided courts. The two vertical walls of the Great Ball Court are 39 feet high (12 m) high with rings carved with intertwining serpents in the center of each wall. Both walls are carved with scenes showing teams of ball players. One panel shows a headless player kneeling with blood shooting from his neck, while another player holds the head.
Photo by theilrAlongside the Great Ball Court is the Tzompantli (Temple of the Skulls), one of the most gruesome temples in Chichen. It is a low platform covered on all sides by rows of carved skulls. Similar platforms are found in central America. The heads of sacrificial victims were displayed here, together with those of the players who lost the ball game.
Photo by jimg944East of El Castillo is the Temple of the Warriors, named after its carved columns depicting warriors. This temple is similar to Temple B at the Toltec capital of Tula, and indicates some form of cultural contact between the two regions. The one at Chichen Itza, however is much larger. At the top of the stairway on the temple’s summit sits a statue of Chac Mool.
Photo by wEnDaLiciousEl Caracol or Observatory is a round building on a large square platform dating to around 906 AD. It was probably an ancient Maya observatory with doors and windows aligned to astronomical events, specifically around the path of Venus. From the tower the Mayans could view the sky above the vegetation without any obstruction. The Spanish name, which means “snail,” refers to the stone spiral staircase inside.
Visit Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is located near the town of Piste on the main highway between the capital city of Mérida and the resort city of Cancun (Hotels in Cancun). 2nd class buses passing through town stop almost anywhere along the way while many 1st class buses only hit the ruins and west side of Piste.
There are a handful of hotels by the Chichen Itza ruins, along the highway nearby, and in the nearby town of Piste, in a variety of price ranges. Some have good swimming pools and restaurants.
The entrance fee is M$95.
To visit Chichen Itza on an organized tour (entrance fee included) see our recommended Chichen Itza tours.
Map of Chichen Itza
The map below shows the location of Chichen Itza Mexico. The buttons on the left can be used to zoom in or out. Click and drag the map to move around.