In what country is the city of Chichen Itza located? Chichen Itza is an ancient Mayan city in Mexico, home to the famous Mayan pyramids and temples. Warrior Temple of Chichen Itza

Approximately 120 kilometers southeast of the city of Merida are the ruins of the ancient city of Chichen Itza. This is the most famous archaeological site of the Mayan period and the state of Yucatan

We continue the series of stories about the pyramids of the world from LifeGlobe. Last time we talked about underwater pyramids the islands of Yonaguni, now came through the story of the great city of the Mayans, their culture and buildings.

Contrary to popular belief, the Mayans were not an empire - they were a group of autonomous cities, often interacting with other states in the region. Chichen Itza and many other important Mayan cities were built in accordance with the sacred beliefs of the Indians - the cities were built to reflect the position of various astronomical objects in the night sky

So who built this anyway? ancient city and his pyramids? Mayans were ancient civilization southern Mexico and other South American countries - Guatemala, Honduras, Belize and El Salvador. Nowadays, about 6 million descendants of the Mayans live here, speaking many different dialects

The Mayan people were very knowledgeable about astronomy, and during the first millennium AD, they studied and mapped in detail the movement patterns of the sun, moon, and other planets and stars. Their religion and mythology were based on this, explaining the past, present and future. The Mayans also invented a brilliant mathematical system, a writing system, and a combination of three accurate interconnected calendars.

In addition to the city of Chichen Itza, the Mayans are also famous for a number of other temple cities, such as Palenque, Uxmal, Copan, etc. Many of these cities have been restored by archaeologists, while some remain underground and await their turn. It is also worth noting that the Mayans were able to navigate long distances across the ocean by developing a sophisticated method of navigating by the stars

Let us turn specifically to the history of the construction of the city of Chichen Itza. Proto-Mayan tribes inhabited the flat plateau of the Yucatan Peninsula for 8,000 years. Archaeologists believe that this place has been an important pilgrimage site for thousands of years.

Chichen Itza became the capital and social center of the Maya in the eighth century. First, the coastal territories of Yucatan were settled, then settlements spread throughout the entire peninsula. Thanks to two great sources clean water, not drying out throughout the year, Chichen Itza became the most powerful Mayan city

In the 10th century, the city was captured by the Toltecs, making Chichen Itza the capital of the Toltec state, but was later recaptured by the united army of three Mayan cities. After the 12th century, Yucatan was mysteriously deserted as the Spanish conquerors destroyed Mayan manuscripts and priests. By the time of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, Chichen Itza was a complete ruin

As a result of excavations in the city, many architectural monuments, in particular, the famous pyramids of Chichen Itza. The most prominent among them is the Temple of Kukulkan - a pyramid of 9 steps 24 meters high. It is amazing that on the days of the autumn and spring equinoxes, the rays of the sun illuminate the stairs of the pyramid in such a way that they form an image of seven isosceles triangles, which, in turn, make up the body of a 37-meter snake, crawling as the sun moves to its head, carved in stone at the base stairs

The Temple of the Chichen Itza Warriors is located on a small pyramid of 4 steps, adjacent to it is the Temple of the Jaguars and the Mayan observatory called Caracol. Surprisingly, the Mayans played football. Naturally, not in the form in which it is customary to play this game now, but nevertheless, during the excavations, 7 large fields for playing ball were discovered. The length of the largest field was 135 meters

It was also possible to preserve statues of gods, with very interesting detail and execution style, as well as many handicraft items and various utensils. A sacred well 50 meters deep, probably used for sacrifices, has also been preserved.

In our time, the Mexican government bought a plot of land of 83 hectares on which the city of Chichen Itza is located in order to preserve it. This is one of the main attractions of Mexico, recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. In 2007, the city was recognized as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Similar cities The Aztecs also had them in Mexico, for example the city of Teotihuacan, which looked no less majestic.

(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 of the 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 the 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 there is 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

1. 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
2. You 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.
3. 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 which we were 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!!!)….

...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 Chichen Itza archaeological complex at 9:30 am.
There were already cars of independent travelers in the parking lot, but not as many 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”).

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!

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 Kukulcan pyramid to see 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 looking like the tail of a snake, As the sun moves, the triangles fade out and form the effect of a snake crawling down.

By the way, you can see this spectacle at the nightly light show.

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.

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!

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! 😎

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Chichen Itza is the grandiose center of the Maya-Toltec civilization, which absorbed the knowledge, beliefs and ideas of these peoples about the universe and the world around them. The city is included in the list of objects world heritage UNESCO, and the Kukulcan Pyramid located here is declared one of the new seven wonders of the world.

Entrance to the territory is 220 MXN, the cost of guide services is 750 MXN. Prices on the page are as of November 2019.

Access is open from 8:00 to 17:00.

History and culture

The history of the city can be roughly divided into two periods: the first lasted from the 7th to the 10th century, when it belonged to the Mayans, the second came in the 10th century after the Toltecs captured the territory. In the mid-11th century, Chichen Itza became the capital of the Toltec state, and in 1178 it was defeated by the united army of the rebel Mayan tribe from three cities: Mayapan, Uxmal and Itzmal. For a reason that remained an unsolved mystery, the city was completely deserted at the end of the 12th century. The buildings of Chichen Itza were gradually covered with a continuous carpet of thickets of tropical plants, until archaeological and restoration work began here in 1920.

The Toltecs worshiped a deity called Quetzacoatl or Kukulcan in the Mayan language, which means “feathered serpent”, whose images are juxtaposed here with the rain god Chak.

Currently, Chichen Itza is the most fully and efficiently restored Mayan city, attracting a huge number of tourists every year.

Where is it and how to get to Chichen Itza

A first class bus will take you from Merida in 1 hour 45 minutes and 200 MXN. Second class will cost 120 MXN, travel time is 2.5 hours. From Cancun it will be, respectively, 290 MXN and 2.5 hours for first class and 200 MXN and 4.5 hours for second class.

• How to build a route between Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Ek Balam

Shopping

On the territory of the complex large number traders offering various souvenirs and crafts. Be careful: in addition to the fact that they are intrusive and will try to attract attention by any means, their products are often of very poor quality.

There are also several shops where you can buy souvenirs, clothes and jewelry.

Popular hotels in Chichen Itza

Excursions, activities and attractions of Chichen Itza

Unfortunately, since the beginning of 2006, climbing the structures is prohibited, with the exception of a few specially designated places. Don't forget a hat and sunglasses - there is practically no shade here during the daytime. And, of course, you can’t do without comfortable shoes.

In the evening, the city is illuminated by the lights of a light and sound show, during which a fairy tale narration is performed in Spanish. The night landscape leaves unforgettable experience, but be prepared for the fact that you will have to return in complete darkness - it would be a good idea to have a flashlight with you. A ticket to the show costs 190 MXN.

Bring binoculars with you - a large number of wonderful birds live in the area. And at night you can admire the sky strewn with myriads of stars.

There is also a small but fascinating museum on site.

Pyramids and temples of Chichen Itza

The Pyramid of Kukulkan, or El Castillo, is a nine-step pyramid 25 meters high, essentially a huge calendar: each step is divided into 2 parts, forming 18 terraces, symbolizing the 18 twenty-day months of the year.

On the days of the spring (March 21-22) and autumn (September 21-22) equinox, the play of sunlight and shadow creates on the western balustrade of the main staircase the illusion of the body of a snake, “crawling” as the sun moves towards its head, carved at the base of the staircase.

These days, Chichen Itza is so crowded that you can hardly get closer to get a good look at what is happening. A week before and another week after these dates, the effect of the image is almost the same.

Chichen Itza

El Caracol - located on a square platform, the round temple served as an observatory. The windows of the dome are framed with images of various celestial bodies on certain dates. The large ball field (there are seven in total on the territory of the complex) is the largest of all created by the Mayans, its length is 135 meters. And the Sacred Cenote is a natural well about 50 meters deep.

The temple of warriors (located on a low four-step pyramid) is decorated with images of sacred animals carved from stone. The top is crowned with the figure of the rain god. Nearby are the ruins of baths, which had mystical significance in Mayan life as a way of cleansing the body and soul.

March 19, 20 and 21 are celebrated as the days of “Bowing Kukulkan”, during which time dance, music and theatrical performances take place.

The Pyramids of Chichen Itza are one of Mexico's most visited UNESCO landmarks.

Chichen Itza is overloaded with the souvenir industry. Furious roar everywhere! Thus, traders attract tourists with special whistles in the shape of a jaguar’s head. This predator is a sacred animal for the Mayan people; it supposedly scares away evil spirits.

Being here, you simultaneously experience irresistible curiosity and mystical horror from touching something unknown and dark. No distractions can interrupt this unspoken communication with the deep past!

Magnetism of Chichen Itza

When and by whom was the city built?

This is one of the oldest Indian cities. The buildings are scattered over a vast jungle area and are well preserved.

Part of the Mayan Itza tribe settled here in the 4th century BC. “Chi” in the Mayan language means mouth or mouth, “Chen” means well, Itza means those Mayans who, according to legend, were the first people on Earth. Abandoned by the 7th century of our millennium, the city was inhabited by the Toltecs, a special highly educated Mayan caste.

What to see

The city has two parts: New (northern) Chichen and Old (southern) Chichen. In the northern part there is business card the entire Pyramid of Kukulkan complex with unique acoustics. The sound reflects off its walls.

Nearby are: the Temple of the Warriors with an altar - a sculpture of Chac Mool, the Temple of the Jaguars, a ball field with an acoustic effect that the science of our time cannot explain, the Group of a Thousand Columns and Temazcalli - an ancient Indian bathhouse.

The jungle road will lead to
the deepest (about 50 m) natural karst reservoir in the ancient city of the Sacred Cenote. There the Mayans worshiped the Rain God. In total, there are 13 such reservoirs on the territory of Chichen Itza.

In the southern part, of particular interest is the Helix, a Mayan observatory, in the round dome of which holes are made in a special order. There, ancient scientists observed the stars. This name comes from the spiral staircase inside. It is not clear where the ancient Toltecs received such deep knowledge of astronomy.

Chichen Itza - a famous place of power on Earth

The Toltecs are a special Mayan caste that passed on through generations skills and abilities in construction and art, scientific and religious knowledge. Expressed in esoteric language, Chichen Itza is one of greatest places forces on Earth. Even from the point of view of a 100% atheist, the presence of some special energy here is undeniable! And such places always attract a huge number of people.

Bloody rituals and traditions

The ancient Maya people firmly believed that best way“agree” with the gods about future well-being - sacrifices. Cruelly and publicly, to please the gods, the priests killed animals and people.

The Chichen Itza temples saw much blood and suffering. That's probably why it's getting worse here creepy.

Chac-Mool - common stone human figures with a tray on their stomachs served as places of sacrifice for the Toltecs. Human hearts were given over to the mercy of the bloodthirsty gods!

And at the consecration of a new temple or at religious holidays Even small children became victims.

After the ball game, sacrifices were also often made, as evidenced by the surviving frescoes on the walls
stadiums. It is believed that the captain of the winning team became the victim. Becoming a victim was a high honor and a guarantee of happiness in the future life.