Therefore, Chichen Itza was built near two massive sinkholes to ensure water availability year-round. These sinkholes are called cenotes and have clean water in them. One thing most people find surprising about the buildings in the Chichen Itza, particularly El Castillo is the incredible condition it is in after all these centuries.
This is due to the restoration projects headed by the Mexican government and some universities to ensure these structures stand the test of time. Restoration efforts began in when Sylvanus Morley, an archaeologist, headed an expedition to the pyramid and realized it had suffered a great deal of decay.
After gaining entrance to the pyramid, restoration efforts were started and continue to this day, due to this El Castillo is stronger than ever. Next up on this list is a morbid fact about Chichen Itza which is not entirely butterflies and rainbows. The Mayans were peaceful and smart people but also believed in curses and sacrifice to the gods they worshiped. The sinkholes mentioned above were frequently used for sacrifices during times of adversity such as a drought or famine.
The Mayans would choose a person to be sacrificed to the gods in hopes that this would bring them luck. In addition to sacrifices, the Mayans were also big fans of death penalties, which were gruesome and publicized to maintain order and spread fear.
Next up is a fact that startles most people when they hear it, and it truly is shocking. The way down is especially difficult with the steps having been smoothened over centuries.
And it erodes the structures so much more. Recommended: Other Mayan pyramids in Yucatan that you can still climb! The glory of Chichen Itza declined and the city met a mysterious end in the 14th century. The residents moved out never to come back to the city again. Researchers attribute this mass exodus to poor weather and a massive wave of droughts.
The, once prosperous, Mayan city of Chichen Itza had been lost to the jungles of Yucatan. Have you been to Chichen Itza yet? How many of these riveting facts about Chichen Itza did you know? Is there something interesting that I missed? Do let me know in the comments below. Well done!
The sounds are quite mysterious, agreed. I would love to find out more about the Queztal bird too. The intense history of the place related to the Mayan blue seems interesting. Also the second and third pyramids inside the main pyramid in a Russian doll concept is something new to me.
I am also surprised by the idea that it is more Toltec than Mayan. It was all so surprising to me too when I started my research. So many legends. So many stories. Chichen Itza is definitely a storehouse of interesting facts.
I love these quirky facts! I also want to see it at night! So many interesting facts. I love how they built these ancient structures along astronomical principles. Makes it so much more evocative when we visit today knowing how advanced they were hundreds of years ago. It is just fascinating how they were such great astronomers thousands of years ago. Mayan civilization has always fascinated me. I love the intriguing design and architecture of the pyramid — nesting multiple smaller pyramids inside, astronomically aligned and especially in a way that one can see the shadow of their Serpent God slowly move down the stairs — this is definitely an engineering marvel.
Your echo resembling the warble of the sacred Mexican quetzal — this gives me goosebumps. I wish to explore this intriguing place in person some day. Yeah so many intriguing things going on there. I hope you can visit soon. With your flair for history, I am sure you will love it.
That should be very interesting. I lvoe its structure and I really want to visit it. I hope I can book a flight soon and take a video of it. Well, it could be a mix of Mayan and Toltec. And yeah, climbing is no longer allowed here. Chichen Itza looks to be both fascinating and creepy at the same time. The Mayan civilization and history holds a huge fascination for us. And of course ChichenItza is in many ways synonymous with this. The myths and facts that surround the place add to its charm and enigma.
The serpent God Kukulkan sounds so much like the Nagas of Hindu mythology, and the symbolism to temples in India and Cambiodia. You are so right. There is so much similarity between the two Gods. On the north side of the Kukulkan Pyramid, there is a platform dedicated to the planet Venus.
The planed had a special place in the Maya civilization. But it also shows the Maya people were devoted astronomers. Movement of Venus influenced architecture of several Maya cities. Many of the sites in Chichen Itza are known for their unusual sounds. For example, if you clap once from one end of the Ball court, it will produce nine echoes in the middle of the court. Another strange sound is a clap in front of the Kukulkan Pyramid.
There is no clear year when the Chichen Itza has fallen. But some studies show that in AD, a revolution and a civil war arose. Archeological evidence confirms these claims. The wooden roofs of the great market and the Temple of the Warrior were burned. At that time, the city went into decline, as rule over Yucatan shifted to Mayapan. Gothic art was a style of medieval art that developed in Northern France out of Romanesque art in the 12th century AD, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture.
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