Chichen-Itza one of the most important examples of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in Yucatan. It is also home to quite a few architectural and natural wonders of the world. Some of them include the Great Ball Court, the Temple of the Warriors and the Sacred Cenote, to name a few.
The most recognizable structure in this 4-mile site is the Temple of Kukulkan or El Castillo. This step pyramid exemplifies just how accurate Maya astronomy is. El Castillo has 91 steps on each side, multiplied by 4 sides is exactly 364 and the top platform makes the 365th. The same number as what is in a year. Coincidence? I think not.
Devising a 365-day calendar was just one feat of Maya science. Incredibly, twice a year on the spring and autumn equinoxes, a shadow falls on the pyramid in the shape of a serpent. As the sun sets, this shadowy snake descends the steps to eventually join a stone serpent head at the base of the great staircase up the pyramid’s side. The Maya’s astronomical skills were so advanced they could even predict solar eclipses, and an impressive and sophisticated observatory structure remains on the site today. source
Today is #MarketFriday initiated by 
Hive account@dswigle (Denise, that's me!!) Join me as we share our markets across the globe. Today we will visit the ruins of Chichen Itza, a Mayan Built Temple in Central Mexico. It is amazing to see the different markets and cultural events of our friends here on Hive.
This is the map of the entire site, giving you an idea of how it is laid out. It was an amazing place, where you can observe the sophisticated Mayan life. You can see by the map pictured above that this was sacred to the Maya. This approximately 4-mile area was the center of a sophisticated urban center of their empire from A.D. 750 to 1200.
I did not get a picture of it, but, a small domed building called the Caracol, was being renovated and covered when I was there. There are small windows through it, which the stars, moon, and planets could be observed. This is evidence of the Mayans' highly developed astronomical skills. They invented amazingly accurate calendar systems and relied on astronomy to tell them when to plant, harvest, etc. This is part of the reason the Mayans are seen as such a highly developed people, in conjunction with the hieroglyphic writing they devised and their ability to create this city without the help of metal tools, animals, or the wheel.
This is called the Group of a Thousand Columns and is a large area that has the shape of an irregular quadrilateral, and is about 150 meters long, located close to what some call the Market or Mercado. The older buildings are located to the south, behind the newer section of the city. Even after the newer building came into existence, these buildings still remained in use.
The columns are amazingly straight and aligned, one to another. What an engineering feat! The Market is a seventy-six meter-long raised portico filled with alternating square and rounded columns stretching east and west; its center is a square building with tall, rounded columns that would have originally supported a roof of wood and/or thatch. The Market (El Mercado) was named as such by the early Spanish colonists who were exploring the site; they felt its dimensions and design resembled a typical Spanish open marketplace. In reality, however, this building likely functioned as a council hall or place for religious ceremonies. Three large metates found in the interior area may have been used for preparing feasts or designed to be symbolically evocative of domestic areas in noble houses.
Look at the mortar on these things!! Stone pillars from traders market section. I had noticed this in one of the earlier photos and wondered how on earth they did it! Can you imagine being the one to slip the chips in to keep the columns level? Wonder how many fingers were left behind in the process?
Chichén Itzá also boasts the biggest Mayan ball court in all of Mesoamerica. It has plenty of carvings showing the violent end of the game, which included human sacrifice. It's not clear, however, whether it was the losing or the winning team that had to join the gods after the game. The ball game played an important ceremonial role in Mayan society. It seems as if it had special significance in Chichén Itzá since there are 13 ball courts throughout the site. Judging from carvings and other art, it was played with a rubber ball, using only hips and elbows. To really appreciate this part of the complex, imagine yourself playing to the death, trying to bang a ball through the hoops way up there, using your hip! It seems almost impossible to score at the ball court in Chichén Itzá, so maybe only the most skilled players were allowed to play at this important religious center. The ball court is another example of the Mayans' highly evolved building skills. The acoustics are spooky. You can hear someone talking in a normal voice from one end of the 168-meter long court to the other. If you’re by the hoops the echo of a clap will sound seven times. Just outside the Ball Court, you'll find the Lower Temple of the Jaguars, where it's still possible to make out some of the colors on the walls. source
About twenty meters in front of the staircase facing the ball court is a "clap zone" There are several places throughout the ruin complex where an echo effect is heard. I should have been listening to a little more carefully...I took a quick trip to the bottom on one of the sets that you could walk up. They are only 4 1/2 inches and I was watching someone take a picture of me and tripped. Good thing I was almost all the way down. They ARE steep!
Chichen Itza Entrance Fee
General Admission
Adults $533 MXN = $28.00
Child (3-12) $80 MXN = $4.00
Mexican Citizens $237 = $12.00
Locals $80 = $4.00
Free admission on Sundays for Mexican citizens and foreigners with residence in Mexico, ID is required.
Chichen Itza is open from Monday to Sunday
from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Due to the pandemic, Chichen Itza receives only 3,000 visitors per day, and the last entry is at 4:00 pm.
This pyramid offers a challenging climb and a breathtaking view over the jungle. This ruined city has several hundred buildings, of which about 30 have been fully restored. Some have been partially restored and others are still covered with the vines and bushes of the jungle.
Located at the northern end of the Great Ballcourt is the Platform of Venus (Plataforma de Venus) This three-tiered temple opens into a sanctuary at the top flanked by two large round columns. This platform is north of El Castillo and was dedicated to the planet Venus. Inside the platform is a large collection of large cones carved out of stone. Archeologists are unsure of their purpose.
The elaborately carved platform is located on the central plain between the Temple of Venus and the Platform of Skulls. The pedestals that top the platform are crowned with serpent many heads
This platform-shaped structure is believed to have been used to display the heads of captured warriors and human sacrifices. This habit of displaying heads, sometimes on poles, was still in use when the Spaniards arrived, leading them to judge the Mayans as savages.
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Jaguar figureheads in Mayan temple
Platform of the Eagles is a low platform with a talud-tablero (slope-panel) base. Serpent heads protrude from the cornice just under the top of the platform. There was never a permanent structure built to top off the Platform of the Eagles and it was likely used for public address or performances, such as dance or sacrifice. The book actually called a sacrifice a performance. Oh, my!
Chichén Itzá's ball court is the largest known in the Americas, measuring 554 feet (168 meters) long and 231 feet (70 meters) wide. Players tried to hit a 12-pound (5.4-kilogram) rubber ball through the (above) stone-scoring hoops set high on the court walls. I can guarantee the competition was fierce as losers were put to death.
Carvings that tell a story, and not always a good one!
Rules of the Road
Go to the market, or anywhere that you pay money for a service.
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And just like that, this post is done. I hope you had a good time and learned a little something new. As always, I want to thank you for taking the time to visit, and just remember, #MarketFriday loves you! Thank you for supporting the challenge! Have a most fabulous day! Cheers!!
As always, there must be flowers to color my world. #alwaysaflower
In 1988, Chichen Itza became a World Heritage site. Currently, in a worldwide vote, it was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. In the 1400s people abandoned Chichén Itzá and went far into the jungle, leaving behind such amazing works of architecture and art. Nobody knows why, but one can only speculate that drought, exhausting the soil, and quests for a conquest exhausted the city, leading to their downfall.
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