Saturday, June 22, 2013

The So Called Maya Garden Of Eden - Chichen Itza

By Frank D. Gardner


The magnificent Chichen Itza was built by the Maya in the sixth century A.D. which sits in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico; it is among the biggest tourist attractions in the country.

Chichen Itza is an ancient archeological site in the Yucatan Peninsula and where you can find Mayan ruins such as temples and pyramids.If you will visit these ruins you would see that they have made their structures based without ornaments and based on a sober style.

Then it was the Toltecs that erected the military buildings and who took Chichen Itza to oblivion and neglect.

Chichen Itza And What It Represents

Having a square base of fifty meters and reaching up twenty four meters, the main building is the Pyramid of Kukulcan.

The pyramid appears to be the Mayan Calendar's representation. The name Chichen Itza means "at the edge of the well with the Itza" deriving from Mayan roots. The Pyramid of Kukulcan is among the main archeological sites in the Peninsula of Yucatan, in the municipality of Tinum, in the State of Yucatan, constructed within the year 525 AD. Chichen Itza was becoming the region most important political center at the end of the classic period.

Historians believe that the primary buildings of Chichen Itza were ruined after the 11th century and then reconstructed, because of its long suffering of violence between ethnicities.

The Pyramid Of Kukulkan - The Main Building Of Chichen Itza

The primary building on the Chichen Itza esplanade is the Kukulcan pyramid, known as the "The Castle", and among the most amazing buildings of the Mayan architecture.

Apart from having four sides, it has on top a rectangular temple. It is in fact 24 meters high and a pyramid built on a 55 meters platform. You can find on each side, a ladder that reaches the temple.

In the temple tourists find the sculpture of Chac Mool as well as a red painted jaguar throne.

The building or pyramid is the Mayan calendar's representation, because each side has 91 steps, which multiplied by four produce 364, plus one, represented by the platform, make 365 steps, such as the days of the calendar of the Mayan which made anthropologist to believe that the pyramid was built and dedicated to their Sun god.

The location whereby the Ball Game was played

The pyramid in addition has a special location under the astronomy when the early spring and fall arrive as the visitor can see the 'Feathered Serpent' descending the stairs in the direction of the Sacred Cenote, on a play of light and shadow.

The ball game was often thought to be a ceremony by which they showed Venus' duality, the wind and the sun. Loads of people think that the losing team was sacrificed since it had been defeated, yet others think that the winning team was sacrificed simply because winners had the honor to be sacrificed.

In the ball game, only the best warriors are allowed to participate. Kings and priests occupy the area around as they are made to for them to watch the game.

The Temple of the Jaguar

There's a series of stone columns with carved snakes and jaguars figures inside the temple. Also, there are remains inside the temple that describes the story of a big war.

Temple of Skulls

Highlight of the Temple of Skulls

Moreover the mentioned temple has a platform that looks like a 'T', carved with skulls that resembles like human skulls. Also representations of eagles flying toward human torsos to devour can be found. In this temple platform, heads of people killed were placed.

Platform of Venus

What presently is referred to as Venus, the Moon and the sun, were fundamental stars for the Maya. One can find images of the gods' mother of the 'Coatlicue' and the snake woman Cihuacoatl' on the platform of Venus.

Sacred Cenote

Measuring 65 meters in diameter and is 35 meters deep, the sacred cenote was the Maya heart of the religious activities. In the Sacred Cenote, ceremonial offerings to the god of water, consisting mainly of gold pieces, core and fabric were thrown.

It was in the year 2007 that Chichen Itza was listed as amongst the new seven wonders of the world. In ending this article, we conclude that the Maya had a knack for architecture, as in their prime time they designed remarkable structures using only the materials at their disposal right at that moment.

An evidence of their fantastic intellect and skill to build would be the fact the buildings are still in excellent condition while still delighting people today. Such structures are magnificent and wonderful that it was listed as a part of the new wonders of the world.

Chichen Itza is one of the very best sightseeing attractions that characterize this glorious country, appealing untold numbers of people from around the world for what is thought by the government a good edge to the economy of Mexico.

With Duende Tours amazing flight tours, you can visit the magnificent Chichen Itza.




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