Beautiful Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza, world famous archaeological zone,
is located 120 km from Merida via federal highway 180 in the State of Yucatan Mexico. 

 The name Chichen Itza is derived from the Mayan language: "Chi" - mouth, "Chen" - well and "Itza" - the tribe that inhabited the area. Between 600 and 1250 A.D. this ancient city whose name means "at the mouth of the Itza well," was the center of political, economic, religious, and military power, not only in Yucatan but also in the entire southeaster part of Mesoamerica. The Itza domain included pert of Tabasco and Campeche, the northern Gulf Coast, and a large part of the southern lowlands. Its sphere of control was based on regional and long distance mercantile activities, which generated one of the most important commercial circuits in all Mesoamerica. Chichen Itza rule brought about drastic changes in the internal structure of Yucatecan communities. At the same 

time, the introduction of an Innovative view of the world marked the establishment of an order characterized by changing commercial values, production and distribution systems, and residential and religious architecture of the groups in the power. It is calculated that during the age of grandeur approximately 50,000 inhabitants such distant groups as those of Balamkanché, Iki, Cumtun, Poxil and Halakai, among others. All of them were connected to the ceremonial center by means of roads known as sacbeob. Chichen Itza is the most visited archaeological site in the peninsula of Yucatan, due to its extraordinary architecture beauty and its geographical location. It was founded in the year 514 of our era by the priest LAKIN CHAN who was also called Itzamna. This is why their people were called since the foundation, chanes or itzaes. When the Spaniards arrived to Chichen Itza, it had been abandoned as a consequence of the civil war fought with Mayapan. In between 1196 and 1441 the final collapse of this culture took place in the north of the peninsula. The conquerors found the buildings partially in ruins and their names and real use were unknown; this is why the present names are suppositions. The architectural characteristics of Chichen Itza and that have a direct relationship with. The Mayan Toltec style are: "El juego de la Pelota", "El Castillo", "El Grupo de las Mil Columnas", "El tzompantli", El Edificio de las Aguilas", "El templo de los Guerrerros", and "El Mercado". All of these buildings have the same decoration motives found in Tula. The most frequent representations are warriors and Quetzalcoatl. The cult of the Feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl in Tula and Kukulkan in Mayan, was very important. The largest Ball Game in Mesoamerica is found in Chichen Itza. It is 168 meters in length and 70 meters in width, In the place, as well as in others in Mesoamerica, the Ball Game was an entertainment, but it also had a ritual side in which the losers were sacrificed. He pyramid known as known as "El Castillo" is surely the place where the ceremony of the descent of Kukulkan was held. The pyramid has special astronomical layout so that a game of light and shadow is formed. On March 21st the body of the serpent metaphorically descends from the temple on top of the pyramid and arrives at the heads at the foot of the staircase. Excavations in the interior show that there is a smaller "Castillo" in its interior. This building owes its name to the rows of pillars displaying relief carvings of warriors. It was erecter over an ancient structure know as the Temple of Chac Mool, upon whose walls and interior pillars there are richly colored carvings of plumed serpents, warriors, and priests. The upper 

building only partially reflects its true grandeur. There are three sculpted masks with extremely long noses on the outer walls and at the corners. On the inner walls of the vaults there were murals with scenes of war and daily life. The altar-tables and benches may have served as seats and thrones for dignitaries. In the "Templo de los Guerreros" there is a temple on the top part where the entrance columns are typically Toltec. Another one of the buildings that has a Toltec seal without is the "Muro de los Craneos". These buildings were destined to be the mausoleums of the tying up the years. Every 52 years the ancient Mayans and other cultures would tie up a sheaf of years to end a cycle. Another important buildings is
"El Caracol", an astronomical observatory.