The city of Chichen Itza in Mexico: the Mayan pyramid - Kukulcan, sacred cenote, photo, video. Chichen Itza city on the map
(Chichen Itza) is an ancient city founded by the Mayans in the 6th century. The Pyramids of Chichen Itza are one of the most visited sites in the Yucatan. The name Chichen Itza itself is translated from the Mayan language as “ Mayan well", due to the fact that on the territory ancient city There are 13 cenotes (natural wells). One of them, the Sacred Cenote, served as a sacrifice to the Rain God.
In the 10th century, the city of Chichen Itza was captured by the Toltecs, and in 1194 the city was deserted. Why the residents left Chichen Itza is still not known.
Ancient city and pyramids of Chichen Itza located on the Yucatan Peninsula, 205 km from famous resort and 120 km from Merida. Chichen Itza is one of the most popular and most visited attractions in the Yucatan Peninsula. Almost all tourists who come on vacation to Mexico, to Cancun, consider it their duty to visit the archaeological complex of Chichen Itza, so there are always a lot of people here. It is advisable to arrive at the opening, then you have a chance to walk around the complex alone 😎
The ancient city and pyramids of Chichen Itza are protected by UNESCO.
How to get to the pyramids of Chichen Itza, Mexico
- By bus. ADO buses run from Cancun and Merida. The cost of a ticket Cancun - Chichen Itza is 80 - 140 pesos (depending on the class of the bus). Travel time is 3-4 hours. Ticket price Merida – Chichen Itza 50-80 pesos, travel time 1.45 – 2.5 hours
- Can buy organized excursion to Chichen Itza, group or individual. The excursion can be booked at any hotel or arranged in advance with personal guide. To book a tour, simply follow the link.
- On rented car . In my opinion, this is the best way to get to Chichen Itza. You can see other sights along the way. Read about how to rent a car in Mexico in Cancun. From Cancun you can get to Chichen Itza by toll or toll roads.
Opening hours and cost of visiting the archaeological complex of Chichen Itza
The Chichen Itza complex is open to the public from 8:00 to 17:00. The evening light show takes place at 19:00 in winter and at 20:00 in summer.
Cost of tickets to Chichen Itza: a ticket to Chichen Itza consists of two parts - a ticket for 125 pesos and a ticket for 57 pesos, total entrance fee 182 pesos (14.5 dollars). These are the most expensive pyramids we visited in Mexico 😎
Parking near Chichen Itza is also paid - 22 pesos (just under 2 dollars).
We knew we had to get to Chichen Itza as early as possible, so we left at 6:30 am! It’s good that the time difference with Moscow is 10 hours; in the first days we got up at 6 am without any problems.
We drove to Chichen Itza along a toll road to save time. Traveling along the Cancun-Chichen Itza toll road is not at all cheap: we paid twice, the first time 251 pesos, the second time 61 pesos, a total of 312 pesos (almost 25 dollars!!!)….
Toll road Cancun - Chichen Itza ...and for what? A little less than 200 km away. We drove these 200 km in 3 hours, I don’t know how people manage to drive them in 2 hours? We don’t break the rules, we didn’t exceed the speed limit, we stopped once at a gas station for 5 minutes.
We arrived at the entrance to the archaeological complex of Chichen Itza at 9:30 in the morning. 
There were already cars in the parking lot independent travelers, but not as much as I thought. We bought tickets, and the guides immediately began to pester us, but we, of course, refused them. At the entrance to the complex there is a toilet (free), souvenir shops, and a cafe.
The first thing that catches your eye when entering the archaeological zone is the main attraction of Chichen Itza (or El Castillo, translated from Spanish as “the castle”).
The main attraction of Chichen Itza is the Pyramid of Kukulkan This nine-tiered pyramid is 24 meters high, on top of which there is a temple in which sacrifices were made. The Kukulkan pyramid is symmetrical and has four staircases. And each staircase consists of 91 steps. If the number of steps 91 is multiplied by the number of stairs 4 and added one (the upper platform), we get the number 365 - the number of days in a year!
Central (northern) staircase of the Kukulkan pyramid 
Not the main staircase of the Kukulkan pyramid :) The Pyramid of Kukulcan is also known as Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent . Every year, on the days of the equinox, March 20 and September 21, many people come to the Kukulkan pyramid to look at one very interesting phenomenon: at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon the sun illuminates the main staircase of the pyramid so that shadows are formed - triangles, together similar to the tail of a snake; as the sun moves, the triangles go out and form the effect of a snake crawling down.
By the way, you can see this spectacle at the nightly light show.
Temple of Warriors 
Let's go to "group of a thousand columns"
, here is a place called the market.
In general, this part of the Chichen Itza archaeological zone is quite sparsely populated and calm. And the sun is not too hot, it’s nice to take a walk or relax under the canopy of trees. 
Attracts attention ball field
. This is one of the largest fields in the complex, its length is 166 m, width 68 m, wall height 12 m. Stone rings are fixed at a height of 8m. The Mayans played ball here. The game was called “pot-ta-pok”, it was played with a rubber ball that weighed about 4 kg and could only be hit with the hip. It is assumed that the game ended with a sacrifice.
Field for playing ball: on the wall there is a ring where, according to the rules of the game, the ball had to be scored You cannot climb the Kukulcan pyramid or other ruins. They say that previously it was possible to climb the pyramid, but then this activity was banned. Either someone fell from the pyramid, or they are simply afraid that the pyramid will deteriorate and collapse... Therefore, a walk around the Chichen Itza complex did not take us much time - only two hours. 
When we headed towards the exit, around 11:30, crowds of tourists began to arrive, there were many Russian-speaking groups.
Watch a short video from this amazing place 😎
Immediately, local merchants had already set up their stalls with souvenirs. By the way, you can buy souvenirs inexpensively here. Much cheaper than Cancun. They sell a lot of interesting masks here, which we never saw anywhere else during our further trip to Mexico. Later we regretted that we had not bought any souvenirs near Chichen Itza. If you need souvenirs, buy them here and be sure to bargain!
Souvenirs in Chichen Itza for every taste and cheaper than in Cancun 
You can spend the night near the Chichen Itza complex in one of the hotels. Choose to your taste and enjoy your vacation 😎 At the same time, you will be able to visit the archaeological complex of Chichen Itza twice: during the day, see the sights, and in the evening come to watch the evening light and music show, for which you do not need to buy a separate ticket, the cost is already included in day tickets.
And two simpler hotels (3 stars):
We didn’t spend the night near the Chichen Itza pyramids, but moved on; an interesting, rich program lay ahead of us, so subscribe to the site’s newsletter to receive notifications about new blog articles! 😎
Ancient city of Chichen Itza- Mayan heritage; the most ancient city on the Yucatan Peninsula. Located 120 km from the capital of the region - the city of Merida, and 205 km from the popular resort of Cancun. Probably everyone who has ever been to Mexico wanted to see the remains of this ancient settlement, which is ranked among the new wonders of the world. Chichen Itza is included in the version of our website.
This is a special place where the Mayan Indians once lived and worshiped their gods. For unknown reasons, they were forced to leave the city, which later became the prey of conquerors: first the Toltecs, and then the Spaniards. In the Mayan language, the sonorous name of the settlement was translated as “The mouth of the well of the Itza tribe.” It is no coincidence that the word “well” appears in this phrase, because 13 cenotes, so-called natural wells, were dug on the territory of the city.
By the way, one of these wells, the “Sacred Cenote,” served for sacrifices to the God of Water. On the territory of the deserted settlement there was also preserved famous Temple Kukulkan, with which there is a lot of symbolism associated. This is a pyramidal structure, on top of which stands a temple for sacrifices. Visitors are prohibited from going up to the temple. There are 4 wide staircases leading up, each of which consists of 91 steps.
If you multiply the number of stairs by the number of steps and add one to the resulting number, you get the number 365, that is, exactly the number of days in a year. In addition, every year on the days of the spring and autumn equinox, an unforgettable show takes place on the stairs of the pyramid. At about 15.00 the sun shines main staircase so that shadows appear in the form of triangles, folding into the tail of a snake. Because of this, Kukulcan is sometimes called the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent. In the evenings in Chichen Itza you can see the same artificially created light show.
Many tourists linger on the huge court, created for brutal ball games. The ancient Mayan ball was so heavy that it could only be hit with the thigh. Well, as expected, every game ended with a sacrifice. According to chronology, the city was founded perhaps in the 7th century AD. as a religious center for a Mexican tribe. Today, the remains of the buildings are conventionally divided into two parts: old and new. The most significant buildings are located in the new central part. At the entrance to the complex there are souvenir shops and cafes.
The most convenient way to get to the ruins is by bus from Merida or Cancun. You can also drive to Chichen Itza with a rental car. The route runs along both a toll (shorter) and free road.
In front of you detailed map Chichen Itza with the names of cities and towns in Russian. Move the map while holding it with the left mouse button. You can move around the map by clicking on one of the four arrows in the upper left corner. You can change the scale using the scale on the right side of the map or turning the mouse wheel.
What country is Chichen Itza located in?
Chichen Itza is located in Mexico. This is wonderful a nice place, with its own history and traditions. Chichen Itza coordinates: north latitude and east longitude (show on large map).
Virtual walk
The “man” figurine above the scale will help you take a virtual walk through the cities of Chichen Itza. By clicking and holding the left mouse button, drag it to any place on the map and you will go for a walk, while inscriptions with the approximate address of the area will appear in the upper left corner. Select the direction of movement by clicking on the arrows in the center of the screen. The “Satellite” option at the top left allows you to see a relief image of the surface. In the "Map" mode you will have the opportunity to familiarize yourself in detail with highways Chichen Itza and main attractions.
In the north of the Mexican Yucatan was once located largest center Mayan people - Chichen Itza. The city, roughly translated as “The Mouth of the Well of the Itza Tribe,” was founded in the 7th century AD. In the 10th century, the Toltec army captured this city-state and formed its capital here. In 1178, the city was captured by neighboring city-states, and from 1194 it fell into complete desolation. No one can now say what caused the residents to leave. The Spaniards who came here in the 16th century only came across the ruins of Chichen Itza.
Excavations carried out in our time on the site of this ancient city have made it possible to find many interesting architectural monuments from the culture of that time. One of the most famous was the Temple of Kukulkan, which is a 9-step pyramid. Another interesting structure is the Temple of Warriors on a 4-step pyramid, decorated with paintings. Stadiums for brutal ball games, a 50-meter well for sacrifices, a sacred cenote, and an observatory with statues of local gods were also discovered.
Ball ring at the stadium
Interestingly, the land with these structures was in private hands until 2010. But competent actions of the government allowed it to be returned to the state for $17.8 million. The ancient Mayan city is very popular among tourists. A monument of this scale, of course, was taken under the control of UNESCO. And in 2007, it was awarded the title of one of the new wonders of the world.
Temple of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza
The main interesting architectural buildings in Chichen Itza were built during the so-called Mexican period - the time after the Toltecs captured the city. It was then built main temple Mayan city - Temple of Kukulkan. The temple was dedicated to the Toltec god Kukulkan, whom they called the Feathered Serpent.
The temple, due to its expressiveness and popularity, has become a symbol of all of Mexico. This 24-meter nine-step pyramid has been seen by every inhabitant of our planet at least once in his life.
The building has a square plan and a massive appearance. It is not surprising that the Spaniards who came here called it a castle. The temple is set on a huge terrace (18 hectares) along with many other famous structures of Chichen Itzi. On the right is the temple of the Warriors, on the left is the temple of the Jaguars.
Four staircases, oriented according to the cardinal directions, lead to the top of the temple. The stairs are accompanied by a balustrade starting from a snake's head. On the days of the equinox, the lighting creates an interesting effect: it seems as if the Kukulcan Serpent is beginning to crawl out of its lair.
Snake Head
In addition to its orientation to the cardinal points, the temple is also distinguished by other astronomical details. Each staircase has 91 steps, which gives a total of 364. And if we add the upper platform to this number, we get the total number of days in the year - 365. The nine main steps of the pyramid are separated by a staircase, which actually doubles them to 18. With the number 18 is associated with the number of months in a year among the Mayans. Each wall depicts 52 reliefs - the number of years in the calendar cycle.
At the top of this large pyramid is the temple itself, with four entrances. Main entrance the sanctuary is located in the north. There are two columns depicting snakes. Inside there are two more pairs of the same. In ancient times, it was here that terrible human sacrifices were performed.
Temple of Kukulkan building
An interesting fact will be the presence of another similar nine-step pyramid in main pyramid. The entrance to it was found relatively recently, and it was here that the symbol of Mayan power was hidden - the Jaguar Mat.
Jaguar Throne
The Jaguar Mat is the ruler's throne, carved from stone, resembling the shape of a jaguar. The throne is inlaid with 73 jade discs in the shape of jaguar spots. The eyes of the beast are filled with them. The first owners of the throne include Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, the founder of the Toltecs.
Temple of the Warriors at Chichen Itza
Another famous temple of the city of Chichen Itza is located to the right of the Kukulkan pyramid. The Temple of the Warriors is also located on the pyramid, the approaches to which are guarded by a detachment of patterned columns.
This structure completely copies the Temple of Quetzalcoatl in Tollan. The Toltec leader Topiltzin Quetzalcoatla, before uniting the tribes and carrying out major conquests, lost this city. So that in the new place many things would remind him of his past glory, and a copy of this temple was built.
In front of the temple staircase there are 60 patterned columns, 2.6 meters high, arranged in four rows. Previously, there was a roof on these columns, of which now, alas, nothing remains. Everywhere in the temple there are images of warriors - hence its name. Just like in all Toltec temples, human sacrifices were made here.
The pyramid of this temple is smaller - only 11.5 meters and consists of five steps. The balustrades of the central staircase are decorated with stone male figures. The top is decorated with the temple itself, which consists of two rooms - the front hall and the sanctuary itself. The entrance to the sanctuary is decorated with the already familiar columns with snakes. The sanctuary contains an altar for sacrifices, supported by human figures. Nearby stands the idol of the demon Chak-Mool, holding a dish on which the priests threw people's hearts. There are not so cruel assumptions from researchers about this idol. Some also believe that the dish is used for offerings in the form of intoxicating drinks, and that the idol itself is the god of rain or the guardian of the temple.
Chac Mool
Inside the temple, everything is outwardly calmer and does not remind of the cruel past. There are many sculptures and frescoes here, with familiar images of snakes, jaguars, and eagles. The warriors on the temple reliefs depict typical Indians of that time. They move in a march or stand majestically in place. The murals depict the history of the Toltec conquest of the Mayans, as well as the peaceful life of the inhabitants of the place. The Temple of the Warriors is undoubtedly one of the most interesting buildings for the study of Maya-Toltec culture.
And although after the defeat the city fell into decay, the beginnings of a great civilization retained their cultural heritage and passed it on to descendants. Chichen Itza in Mexico is indeed one of the... the most unique places of our planet.
Video about Chichen Itza
What is the ancient city of Chichen Itza known for: main objects, Mayan civilization and alternative versions of the origin of Chichen Itza. Photos and reviews.
Chichen Itza is an ancient Indian city located on the Yucatan Peninsula, in what is now Mexico. The last inhabitants left this once locality in the middle of the 15th century. During the city’s heyday, about 10 thousand people lived here. Today, Chichen Itza is recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site and is included in the list of protected historical sites. Archaeological research that continues on the territory of the abandoned city today began in the mid-19th century.
Chichen Itza: panorama of the largest attraction of Yucatan
What is Chichen Itza
According to UNESCO reports, the Mexican ancient city of Chichen Itza is a perfect example of a mixture of two cultures (Mayan and Toltec) with knowledge of architecture and mathematical intricacies.
All large objects Chichen Itza was built between the 6th and 13th centuries (the earliest - before the 10th). Monuments, by official version, were designed directly by the Mayans. But some of the surviving objects - “Temple of Warriors”, “Temple of Skulls”, “Caracol”, “Snail” - belong to the Toltec culture.
Most of the ancient cities of Yucatan were dismantled for building materials by Spanish conquistadors who moved to the Mexican coast in the 16th century. But the city of Chichen Itza miraculously escaped this fate, perhaps due to its remoteness from the main European trade routes. Therefore, today we can fully enjoy the beauty and grandeur of the ancient Mayan buildings.
History of the Mayan civilization
Mayan rock coinage
It is known that the first people came to Yucatan about 12 thousand years ago, this became known after discoveries in the caves of Tulum and Loltun. The Mayan Indians, who are considered the builders of the ancient city of Chichen Itza, appeared here around the 3rd century BC - a time considered to be the heyday of this Indian civilization.
Perhaps the reason for the construction of the city in the place where it is located was the well-known problems with drinking water on the Yucatan Peninsula.
All major objects of Chichen Itza were built between the 6th and 13th centuries. The monuments, according to the official version, were designed directly by the Mayans.
The soil of the peninsula is represented by layers of sedimentary rocks - for this reason, there are practically no surface reservoirs here. But in the lower, denser layers of the soil, there are large lakes and even rivers. The ancient inhabitants of the peninsula could only get to the water at karst sinkholes, the so-called cenotes, near the largest of which the city of Chichen Itza was built.
Scientists believe that the main one appeared here no later than 525 AD - the oldest buildings date back to this period of history. For example, temples and houses with the symbols “Church”, “ Convent", "Chichen-Chob", etc. Around the same time, cities such as Tulun, Cobu, Uxmal and Mayapan appeared in the Yucatan.
But the Mayans were destined to fade away, like many of the great civilizations of the Earth. Researchers believe that possible reasons for the decline of the Mayan civilization were epidemics, civil strife, or capture by a stronger tribe - for example, the Toltecs. It is known that most Mayan cities, including Chichen Itza, were owned by this tribe in the 10th century AD.
The Mayan and Toltec cultures were somewhat similar: they prayed to the same deities and had an almost identical vision of the world.
Main pyramid of Chichen Itza - Quetzalcoatl-Kukulcan
This is evidenced by one of the main attractions of Chichen Itza - the central temple-pyramid of Kukulkan (or El Castel), used by the Toltecs as an altar for sacrifices to Quetzalcoatl, the main deity of their pantheon. In both tribes he was depicted as a feathered serpent, supposedly the founder of the human race.
In the middle of the 15th century, the capital of the Indian empire, the city of Mayapan, fell, and Chichen Itza, following it, quickly lost its former attractiveness and fell into decay. The Spaniards, who appeared here in the 16th century, described it as “the ruins of an unknown barbarian civilization,” although previously it was a major administrative and religious center, one of the most developed Indian cultures South America.
Chichen Itza: what to see
From the time of the fall of the Indian cities until 1841, all the beauties of Chichen Itza were abandoned and simply ignored. Only with the beginning of archaeological research in Latin America did this city again remind itself.
Today the square is the most popular tourist site thickets have been cleared, buildings where needed have been restored, and the number of tourists walking along the wide streets of the ancient city of Chichen Itza exceeds tens of thousands every month.
The main excursion sites of Chichen Itza that are worth seeing:
- The sacred cenote and the road leading to it, paved with stone.
- Stepped temple (pyramid) of Quetzalcoatl-Kukulcan.
- "Temple of Warriors" and the columns surrounding it.
- The smaller "Temple of the Jaguar".
- Pyramid-crypt of the high priest.
- "Temple of the Bearded Man"
- Other buildings that have only symbols on the map of the city of Chichen Itza, since neither their true names nor purpose have reached us.
- Also within the city there are remains of residential buildings, from which one can judge high level the lives of its inhabitants.
Alternative versions
Panorama of the ancient city of Chichen Itza
It should be mentioned that there are skeptics who claim that the Mayans or Toltecs simply could not have been the builders of such a facility as Chichen Itza.
These tribes (according to doubters) became only temporary guests in other people's empty houses. Skeptical scientists call the true builders of these masterpieces an earlier civilization that inhabited Yucatan and a number of other regions of South America, where today you can see buildings similar to Chichen Itza.
Official science does not agree with the existence of a proto-civilization and ignores this version. Although the lovers alternative versions» provide ample evidence of the existence of an early civilization - incredibly technologically advanced. Allegedly, just look at the megaliths from which such monuments as Teotihucan, Tikal and other ancient cities were built, found in the territory of the South and North America and also carefully protected by UNESCO to understand this.
Be that as it may, research into ancient buildings and their history continues. And perhaps someday humanity will learn the whole truth about who its ancient ancestors were, who knew how to build such grandiose objects as the Mexican pearl of Chichen Itza.
In addition to the step pyramid, there are many more objects in the Chichen Itza complex
