Why one of the most developed Mayan cities, Chichen Itza, was empty in the twelfth century, no one knows: the policy of the Spanish conquistadors was aimed at the complete destruction of paganism, which included the burning of manuscripts and the murder of priests who, perhaps, could tell something about the mysterious past of their people. So the memory of this amazing city Mexico has come down to us only in stones.

Chichen Itza on the map is located in Mexico, 120 km southeast of Merida, the capital of the Yucatan Peninsula, and is currently not only one of the most famous cities Mayan period, but not without reason it is considered a new wonder of the world.

Previously, this settlement was called differently - "Uukil-abnal" ("Seven Bushes"). Chichen Itza received its current name a little later, when the fame of the well in which sacrifices were made spread to nearby areas, as a result of which the city was renamed the “Well of the Itza tribe”: “chi” meant “mouth”, “chen” - “well "And" itza "- this was the name of one of the Mayan tribes who founded the settlement.

The city of Chichen Itza at that time was quite large: its area was about 10 square meters. km. Despite the fact that only ruins remained from most of the buildings, some structures (mostly of a cult nature) are well preserved and are of great interest not only to scientists and researchers, but also to many inhabitants of our planet.

The life of this amazing wonder of the world in Mexico is divided by researchers into two stages.

Mayan culture period (VI-VII century)

Uukil-abnal was founded by representatives of the Mayan tribe, who arrived on the peninsula from the south of the continent, according to one version in the middle of the 5th century, according to another, two centuries later. Since the Maya were very well versed in astronomy, Chichen Itza was built taking into account the position in the sky of various astronomical bodies, which played an important role in their beliefs and traditions (for this purpose, they even built an observatory in the city).

The inhabitants of the city were considered excellent craftsmen and skilled artists (as evidenced by the found sculptures of gods, various crafts, as well as bas-reliefs with floral and geometric ornaments).

Toltec period (X-XI centuries)

In the tenth century, Chichen Itza came under the rule of the Toltecs (one of the tribes of the Uto-Aztec language group), as a result of which the number of inhabitants increased sharply, presumably to 20-30 thousand people.

The culture of this people could not but affect both the architecture of the city and its religion: the Toltecs practiced frequent human sacrifices, an example of which is a well, at the bottom of which a huge number of human remains were found, mostly men and children.

True, the Toltecs did not stay here for long: they left the city after the defeat of their army in 1178. And fourteen years later, Chichen Itza was abandoned by the inhabitants completely, began to collapse, and by the time the Spaniards appeared in Mexico, only ruins remained from it.

Acoustics of Chichen Itza

All buildings in Chichen Itza are located in such a way that they create an amazing acoustic effect that amplifies the sound many times over. This is especially noticeable in the stadium of the ancient Toltecs: if people who were in temples located on opposite sides of the field wanted to talk to each other, they could easily do this without fear that someone would hear them (of course, if they did not stand next to )!

Such a “telephone” effect was discovered by chance and what knowledge should have been locals to achieve it, scientists are not yet able to explain.

The Most Remarkable Mayan Buildings

All the main buildings of Chichen Itza are located on the largest square, in the center of which the temple of the main deity of the city, Kukulkan, was erected.

Pyramid

The most notable building of Chichen Itza is famous pyramid Kukulkan, the feathered serpent, the supreme god of winds and rains. It was erected on the foundation of an earlier structure. The height of the pyramid is 30 meters, the length of each side is 55 m. Each side of the pyramid is oriented to one of the cardinal points.

The pyramid has nine tiers. At the top is a temple 6 meters high - sacrifices were made on it. The temple can be reached by one of the four stairs, each of which expands upward, creating an optical illusion of a completely flat staircase.

These stairs divide each side of the pyramid in two - thus, the number of tiers of each side in total is eighteen (that is how many months the Mayan calendar year has). Each staircase has 91 steps. Scientists have noticed: if their number is multiplied by the number of stairs and the top floor is added, it turns out 365 - that is how many days a calendar year has.

This pyramid is notable for the fact that during the spring and autumn equinoxes, the god himself, Kukulkan, crawls along it, thereby showing people a real miracle.

The rays of the sun fall on one side of the temple of Kukulkan so that, thanks to the play of light and shadow, seven equilateral triangles appear on it. These figures form the body of a huge snake 37 m long, which, as the sun moves, crawls down the pyramid to its head, located at the base of the stairs. You can watch the movement of this wonder of the world for 3 hours and 22 minutes.

Inside the pyramid, archaeologists found several secret rooms, one of which contained a throne carved from stone in the shape of a jaguar, painted orange (the Jaguar Mat).

The eyes and spots of the beast are made of jade, and the claws of the ancient masters were carved from volcanic stone. A figure was discovered here, which archaeologists later named Chak Mool.

It depicts a man holding a dish with gifts intended for the gods, and is located opposite the door leading to the temple of the Warriors and, judging by the deciphered records, was a symbol of Chichen Itza.

Temple of the Warriors

Temple of the Warriors is on the west side central square and erected on a low four-tier pyramid, the base of which was 40 x 40 m. On the walls of the temple, you can see images of sacred animals carved from stone, and it is crowned with the figure of the main god of the city, Kukulkan.

Inside the building there are several spacious halls, and the entrance is decorated with massive columns in the form of snakes, whose heads are below, and their tails are directed to the sky. Behind the snakes are four giants (atlanta) holding a stone altar.

colonnades

Near the temple of the Warriors, you can see a platform with four rows of columns, each of which is three meters long. Each column is decorated with embossed images of Indian warriors (because of this, the nearby temple got its name). According to the assumptions of some scholars, in former times, a reed roof was installed on these pillars, under which the city's bazaar was located.

Observatory Caracol

Chichen Itza had its own observatory - a round building towering on a double stone platform with small windows through which the priests had the opportunity to observe the starry sky. Inside the observatory is a spiral staircase resembling a shell, which is why the building got its name (“Karakol” means “snail”).

Ball courts

There were about 12 ball courts (pot-ta-pok) in the ancient city. The largest of them was built no later than 864 AD, was 135 m long, 68 wide, and the height of its walls was 12 meters (at the same time, the rings where the Mayans were supposed to throw the ball were fixed at the level of eight meters).

Four temples were located on each side of the stadium, each of which was oriented to a certain side of the world.

The Indians played with a rubber ball weighing about four kilograms - it could be beaten off with a stone bat, and touched with any parts of the body, except for the arms and legs. This game was hard, cruel, lasted several hours (the rings were located high enough so that they could be so easily hit) and ended with sacrifices: the captain of the losing team was beheaded right at the stadium, sacrificing to the sun god.

How the whole process of the game took place can be judged by the engraved scenes on the bas-reliefs of the stadium (for example, here you can see a headless player, near which his executioner raises his severed head).

Well

Another attraction that Chichen Itza became famous for and after which the city got its name is a natural well with a depth of about 50 meters that served for sacrifices. You can get to it along a three-hundred-meter paved road, the width of which is ten meters.

The well is striking in its size:

• The diameter of the well is 60 meters;
• Depth - 82 meters;
• The water starts at a depth of 20 meters from the edge.

This well was sacred: people were thrown into it. Despite the fact that in former times it was believed that this fate befell young beautiful girls, divers, having descended to the bottom, refuted this hypothesis by raising about 50 skeletons from the bottom, which belonged mainly to men and children. Why exactly they were sacrificed - Chichen Itza still keeps this secret.

World interest in the heritage of the civilization of the Mayan people does not fade away. Numerous religious and cult mysteries, gloomy predictions and the most accurate calendars, gigantic ruined cities, among which the most famous is Chichen Itza, invariably attract crowds of tourists and curious people. The name itself Chichen Itza from the Mayan language it is translated as “the well of the Mayan tribe”, due to the fact that 13 cenotes (natural wells) are located on the territory of the ancient city.

Chichen Itza: History of the City

Based on archaeological data and fragments of ancient chronicles, the researchers concluded that famous city Maya was founded in the 5th-6th centuries AD. It immediately became the center of the Yucatan territory: political, religious, cultural. According to some information (all statements regarding Chichen Itza not confirmed and are hypotheses that require evidence that is almost impossible to find), from 20 to 30 thousand inhabitants permanently lived in the city. An uncountable number of pilgrims and wanderers, merchants and money changers visited this settlement every year.

In the 10th century, the Maya were conquered by the Taltecs, the city was partially sacked and abandoned by most of the population. But life did not leave him. The decline falls on the 13th century from the birth of Christ. Buildings crumbled, people left Chichen Itza. Since the 15th century, herds of cattle grazed in the territory, once rich, prosperous and populous.

Long time to majestic and sinister ruins no one showed interest. From the middle of the 19th century, a fascination with culture, astrology, and most importantly, the legendary wealth of the Maya began. Scattered, but numerous excavations, studies began on the territory, artists and photographers from all over the world came to capture the bizarre buildings and mysterious temples.

In the 2nd half of the last century, the Mexican government decided to restore (as far as possible) the original appearance of Chichen Itza. This place has become a Mecca for tourists.

In 2007 ancient city Chichen Itza Mexico included in the list world heritage UNESCO. The Mayan city of Chichen Itza has been named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Tuzha might have hit and, but not fate.

Chichen Itza, Mexico and the Artistic Value of the Ruins

The area of ​​the city is about 6 km. sq. surviving architectural complexes numerous and, if you study them in detail, consider each relief and column, one day for a visit will not be enough. Unfortunately, excursions organized from Cancun are only one-day. Overnight in Chichen Itza nowhere, and creepy.

A professional guide will lead the group along paved roads, perfectly preserved over a dozen and a half centuries, and show and tell about all the religious buildings of the city. The largest and largest of them is Pyramid of Chichen Itza called Kukulkan "Feathered Serpent". The guide will entertain (and scare someone) with legends about bloody sacrifices, cruelty and religious beliefs of an ancient tribe. The Temple of Warriors will amaze with the realism of the reliefs and sculptures; it is easy to get lost in the group of “thousand columns”. The ball court will surprise you with the size of its territory and will give you goosebumps with images of severed heads.

The tour includes a visit to the sacred cenote - a natural reservoir, the diameter of which is 60 m. The depth is almost the same. There is evidence that girls and children, as well as numerous cult objects, were thrown into this “lake” by the Maya, asking their deities for rain.

Location: Mexico
Main attractions: temple of Kukulkan, temple of warriors, temple of jaguars, observatory, sacred cenote
Coordinates: 20°41"01.0"N 88°34"08.4"W

Content:

Short description

The ancient Mayan city - Chichen Itza, located in Mexico in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula, is covered with sinister glory. It is here, 300 meters north of the main buildings of the city, that the Sacred Cenote, or “Well of Death”, about 50 meters deep, is located, at the bottom of which, according to Mayan legends, the rain god Chak lived.

The ancient city of Chichen Itza from a bird's eye view

To appease God and bring rain, the Maya performed human sacrifices, throwing the most beautiful girls to the bottom of the well. Following the victims, rich gifts were thrown into the cenote - gold, jade, rock crystal, mother-of-pearl, amber, copper, onyx, etc.

The legend of sacrifice was confirmed by Mexican scientists who plunged to the bottom of the well. And although the well has not been used by the Mayans for a long time, many people still believe in its supernatural power. It is believed that if you throw a coin into the water and make a wish, it will surely come true.

Temple of Kukulkan

A Brief History of Chichen Itza

The name of the ancient city of Chichen Itza is translated as "The well of the Itza tribe." The city was founded in the 7th century AD. e. as religious center Maya, and by the 10th century it was captured by the Toltecs, who came to the Yucatan from central Mexico, and by the 11th century it became the capital of the Toltec kingdom. In 1178, the Indian ruler Hunak Keel destroyed the Mayan sanctuary, turning it into a miserable heap of ruins. The city fell into decay and became depopulated.

Temple of Warriors

Return of the Feathered Serpent

Chichen Itza is considered the most famous and best restored Mayan city. main temple Chichen Itza is dedicated to the deity Kukulkan - the "Feathered Serpent". The 30-meter pyramid of Kukulkan rises on a huge stone terrace. Four staircases, oriented to the cardinal points, lead to the top of the ritual building, where the ancient Maya performed sacrifices. The stairs are framed by a balustrade that starts at the bottom with a snake head carved in stone and continues to the top of the pyramid in the form of a curving snake body.

Observatory

Every year on the days of the spring and autumn equinoxes, that is, on March 20 and September 22, one can observe the unique phenomenon of the “Feathered Serpent”: the sun illuminates the balustrade in such a way that the shadow of the “Feathered Serpent” forms on the pyramid, which creeps down and disappears exactly after 3 hours 22 minutes.

All four stairs of the temple have 91 steps each, and together with the terrace-platform connecting them together, 365 steps (91 x 4 + 1) are obtained, which corresponds to the number of days in a year.

Temple of the Jaguars

Treasures of the Pyramid of Kukulkan

In one of the secret rooms of the Kukulkan pyramid, archaeologists discovered the “Jaguar Mat” and the ritual figure of Chuck Mool with a flat bowl on his stomach, on which the heart of the sacrifice was burned. The "Jaguar Mat" is a throne carved in stone in the shape of a jaguar's body and painted fiery red. The spots on the skin of the beast are made of jade stones. The eyes are also jade, and the fangs in the bared mouth are carved from a stone of volcanic origin.

Large field for ball games

Other sights of Chichen Itza

Important buildings of Chitsen Itza are the Temple of Warriors and the Temple of Jaguars, whose walls are decorated with paintings.. So, in the Temple of the Jaguars, images of jaguars and eagles devouring human hearts are carved. On the south side of the Temple of Warriors is the "Group of a Thousand Columns". It consists of the ruins of four colonnades, forming a giant rectangle. Chichen Itza also has its own observatory "Karakol", designed to observe the planets and, in particular, Venus.

sacred cenote

It is a round building with small windows, rising on a double stone platform. Inside this structure, a spiral staircase was built, which has a spiral shape like that of a clam shell. Hence the name of the observatory - "Caracol", which is translated from Spanish as "snail". One of the oldest buildings in the city, the Palace of the Nuns is interesting for its stone carvings and masks of the god Chak. Chichen Itza has seven ball courts, including the largest "stadium" ever built by the Maya.

Venus platform

Since the ball game had ritual significance for the Maya, the losers were sacrificed. The inhabitants of Chichen Itza were excellent craftsmen and artists. This is evidenced by the sculptures of deities preserved in the city, bas-reliefs with floral and geometric ornaments carved on them, handicrafts, etc. In 2007, according to the results of a popular vote, Chichen Itza was recognized as one of

Chichen Itza is one of the few ancient cities that have been partially restored during excavations. It is located in Mexico near Cancun. Previously, it was political and Cultural Center Maya civilization. And although today the territory is abandoned by the inhabitants, the attraction is a UNESCO heritage, so tourists come to see the ancient buildings not in the photo, but with their own eyes.

Historical summary of Chichen Itza

From history, everyone knows about the Mayan tribe, but by the time the Spaniards landed on the Yucatan Peninsula, only scattered settlements remained from the large population. The ancient city of Chichen Itza is an irrefutable confirmation that once a civilization was very powerful, and the knowledge that it possessed can surprise even today.

The beginning of the construction of the city dates back to the 6th century. Architecture can be roughly divided into two periods: Mayan and Toltec cultures. The first buildings appeared in the 6th-7th centuries, subsequent buildings were erected after the capture of the area by the Toltecs in the 10th century.

In 1178 the city was partially destroyed after the invasion of Hunak Keel. In 1194, the previously prosperous center was almost completely empty. It was still used for pilgrimage purposes, but for unknown reasons, the inhabitants never returned to the city with unusual architecture and infrastructure developed at that time. In the 16th century, it was already completely abandoned, as the Spanish conquerors came across only ruins.

Sights of the ancient city

When visiting Chichen Itza, it is difficult to ignore the monumental buildings of the city, which even today surprise with their scale. calling card is the Temple of Kukulkan, a pyramid 24 meters high. The Maya worshiped divine beings in the form of feathered snakes, so they hid an amazing miracle in the design features of the Pyramid of Kukulkan.

On the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes, the sun's rays fall on the slopes of the building so that they create the shadows of the seven equilateral triangles. These geometric figures are combined into a single whole and form a snake crawling along the pyramid, 37 meters in size. The spectacle lasts almost 3.5 hours and annually gathers a huge crowd around it.

Also, during the excursions, they necessarily talk about the Temple of the Warriors and the Temple of the Jaguars, painted with unusual drawings. At the Temple of Warriors, you can see the ruins of a thousand columns, each with images of warriors. In those days, astronomy was of great importance for the inhabitants, so it is not surprising that there is an observatory in the ancient city. The staircase has a spiral shape, so the building is called Karakol, which translates as "snail".

One of the darkest places in the city is the Sacred Cenote, where there is a well with the remains of animals and people. During the Toltec period, sacrifice played a key role in religion, but many children's skeletons have been found here. Scholars still cannot figure out why children were needed for the rites. Perhaps this secret will remain hidden within the walls of Chichen Itza.

For the Maya, astronomy was put at the head of everything, a lot of nuances in architecture are associated with the passage of time and calendar features. So, for example, the Temple of Kukulkan consists of nine tiers, on each side a staircase divides the pyramid in half. As a result, 18 tiers are formed, the same number of months in the Mayan calendar. Each of the four stairs has exactly 91 steps, which in total with the upper pedestal is 365 pieces, and this is the number of days in a year.

Interestingly, the locals liked to play pot-ta-pok with a ball. Several playgrounds are proof of this. The largest reaches 135 meters in length and 68 in width. Around it are temples, one on each side of the world. Guides usually show you how to get to the sports fields and explain the rules of the game.

Chichen Itza can easily surprise you, because the city impresses with its scope. It seems that everything in it was thought out to the smallest detail, which is why it is not clear for what reasons the inhabitants left it. The mystery of history may forever remain unsolved, and this is even more interesting for tourists.

115 km from and 193 km from.

The ancient city of Chichen Itza has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. cultural heritage and is the second most popular archaeological site among tourists in Mexico (after Teotihuacan).

Translated from the language of local tribes, this name means "Itza Tribe Well". Archaeologists consider it one of the religious "places of power" associated with the Mayan culture.

For about thousand years of history various peoples left their mark on the appearance of the city. The ideas of the Mayan, Toltec and Itza peoples about the world and the universe were reflected in stone monuments and works of art.

Buildings in Chichen Itza are conditionally divided into two groups. The first includes buildings dating from the 6th-7th centuries. n. e. and related to the period of the Mayan culture. The second group of buildings belongs to the Toltec period of the X-XI centuries. n. e.

Story

Chichen Itza was founded presumably in the 7th century AD. e.

In the X century it was captured by the Toltecs.

In the middle of the XI century, Chichen Itza became the capital of the Toltec state.

In 1178 he was defeated by the united an army of three city-states - Mayapan, Ushmal and Itzmal, which was headed by Hunak Keel. By the time of the Spanish conquests (mid-16th century), Chichen Itza was a ruin.

After 1194 mysterious city finally deserted. There are no exact data on what caused this. The policy of the Spanish conquerors who invaded Mexico included the burning of manuscripts and the murder of Mayan clerics. Thus, most of it mysterious history was lost.

Last changes: 27.07.2011

Attractions Chichen Itza

Pyramid of Kukulkan or El Castillo- a temple building that survived among the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza.

Inside the pyramid, the entrance to which is located on the north side, there is a temple with two rooms. It contains a sacrificial figure of Chak-Mool and a jaguar throne. The height of the pyramid is 24 m, the base is 55x55 m, 365 steps leading up, symbolizing the days of the year. In addition to the function of the temple, the pyramid probably served as a calendar.

Every year on the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes (March 21 and September 23) one can observe the unique spectacle of the “feathered serpent”. The shadow of the stepped edges of the pyramid falls on one of the stairs. At the same time, it seems that a snake is crawling along it, up in March, and down in September. The end of the stairs, in keeping with this effect, is surmounted by a stone serpent's head.

- a natural well, located 300 meters north of the main buildings of the city, with which it is connected by a sacred sakba.

It is a giant round funnel with a diameter of over 60 meters. Its sheer walls, made of layers of limestone, drop steeply down to the dark green water. According to the Maya, the rain god Chak lived inside the well. The Maya brought human sacrifices to him, throwing them to the bottom of the cenote.

In 1961 and 1967 the sacred cenote was explored by Mexican expeditions. Two large wooden thrones, about a hundred earthenware jugs and bowls of various sizes, gold jewelry, jade, rock crystal, bones, mother-of-pearl, amber, copper and onyx, as well as human and animal bones were found.

- a building located on top of a stepped pyramid (40x40m), surrounded by a large number of carved columns (a group of a thousand columns). The height of the columns reaches 3 m. Most of these columns depict Toltec warriors, which is why the Temple of Warriors is called that.

Opposite the main door of the Temple of the Warriors is a statue of Chac Mool, depicting a human figure in a recumbent position, with its head turned to one side and holding a cup intended for gifts to the gods.

- located on the south side of the Temple of the Warriors and is formed by three colonnades surrounding a fairly large area on three sides.

It is believed that once the columns supported the roof. But from the roof over the sanctuary, which is located on the upper platform of the Temple of Warriors, where two stairs lead, nothing remains. Only two stylized snakes remained, made in the form of columns and symbolizing Kukulkan.

- a round structure on a large platform. According to the researchers, there astronomical observatory to observe the planets, especially Venus.

- the largest playground ever created by the Maya. The length of the playing field reaches 150 m. On the sides of the playing field there are vertical walls 8.5 m high. In the center of each wall, heavy stone rings with snake ornaments are installed - 7.25 m above the ground.

The goal of the game is to hit the stone rings with a heavy (up to 2 kg) rubber ball, the size of a human head. The ball was taken on a "collar" or beaten off with a bat, only elbows, knees or hips were used. The ball, representing the sun, was probably not allowed to touch the earth, otherwise its symbolic "path" would be interrupted.

The team that missed the ball into the ring was considered the loser. It is believed that the losers were sacrificed in ritual (the reliefs on the panels decorating the bases of the walls show decapitated players).

Chichen Itza has several other similar structures, but the "Great Field" is much larger than them.
Last changes: 04/10/2015

Last changes: 04/10/2015