The advanced civilization of the Mayans is praised for a number of things. For starters, they are attributed with the development of the number zero and their own artistic, architectural, mathematical, and astronomical knowledge, but probably are mostly admired because they left behind a significant collection of ruins in addition to a cultural heritage that influenced following societies and can be admired on both Tulum and Chichen Itza.
Mayan architecture can be divided into two categories: stepped pyramids with sculpted pediments believed to portray Mayan mythological scenes, and one-story palaces with elaborately adorned facades. Archaeologists and anthropologists continue to examine these ruins in-depth in order to understand more about the Mayan culture and if you’d like to visit either Tulum or Chichen Itza, we’ll give you a glimpse of what you may find in these beautiful cities.
Here are Some Facts About Chichen Itza
A fortified Mayan city, Chichen Itza was situated in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Its name means “Mouth of the Well of the Itzaes” in English (“water sorcerers” considered mythical-historical figures). Chichén Itzá is an ancient location in Yucatán, Mexico, that has been inhabited since about 525 AD and is characterized by old Mayan constructions that have survived, especially from the post-classic era.
During the Postclassic period, from 900 to 1527 the city had established itself as the main political center on the Yucatecan peninsula. The monuments at Chichén Itzá exhibit a significant amount of what some historians have dubbed “Mexicanized architectural and iconographic features,” which are inspired by echoes of the Puuc style and ancient Maya architecture, and before a few years ago, it was thought that the Central High Plateau’s cultural remnants were a result of mass migration or a Toltec invasion of the Maya capital.
In 1988, Chichen Itza was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites, and in 2007, the Temple of Kukulkan was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, making Chichen Itza one of the most well-known Mayan cities in the world at the time. Unfortunately, due to conservation concerns, the Federal Government has forbidden tourists and visitors from climbing the pyramids or any other surrounding structures since 2008.
Nevertheless, you can still visit this historical place and learn some of we have a fantastic Chichen Itza tour that will let you peacefully take in the pyramids from above while learning about their mythology and culture.
The Most Important Chichen Itza Ruins That You Must Visit
The Kukulkan Pyramid is the main attraction in Chichen Itza, referred to by locals as “El Castillo.” The feathered serpent god “Kukulkan one of the three primary gods who the Mayans thought created the universe used to be revered at this 75-foot-tall temple by ancient Mayans and the majority of Mesoamerican people where Mayans also performed their astrological practices.
Since the classical era, the temple of Kukulkan has been the main focus of Chichen Itza, drawing lots of visitors and historians due to its remarkable architecture, which reveals the Mayans’ extensive grasp of mathematics, astronomy, geometry, and acoustics.
The Temple of Warriors is a 40 feet high and 133 feet wide structure decorated with bas-reliefs of warriors, eagles, and jaguars feasting on human hearts as well as images of the gods Tlalchitonatiuh and Chaac Mool. Four platforms make up The Temple of the Warriors, which is surrounded on its south and west sides by 200 round and square columns collectively known as The Thousand Columns group.
You can see the ruins of four chambers in the thousand columns group on the west side; two of the chambers were filled in to support a second level and the columns were constructed between 900 and 1200 AD and still bear remnants of stucco covering, which was likely painted in various hues. The function of this area changed a lot but it’s believed that these were great meeting halls that were decorated with motifs and Chaac masks representing an earlier priestly class who governed the city.
Pok ta Pok, the Mayan ball game that occasionally resulted in life being won or lost. Native Americans have been engaged in this ritualized game in America from at least 1650 BC, and it was so well-known that Mesoamerican courts have been found as far south as Nicaragua and as far north as Arizona. This Chichén Itza ball court, which is situated on the western side of the Great North Plaza, is notable for its immense size; in fact, 168 meters long and 70 meters wide, it is the largest Ball Court in Mesoamerica.
It is believed that this ritual event acted as a symbol for the eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil as well as the cycle of life and death. The ball was made of solid unvulcanized rubber and weighed around four pounds; the teams were of one to seven players each, and they were only allowed to use their hips while playing (not their hands, feet, or heads like in modern football), and had to get the ball through an elevated stone hoop.
Here Are Some Interesting Tulum Facts
Tulum was originally called Zama, which means “morning” in Mayan, which makes sense because it is located on a cliff from which they had perfect views of the dawn; it was later changed to Tulum, which means “wall”, referring to the wall surrounding Tulum, a name that seems to have been given when the city began to be abandoned but was protected by the jungle around. Tulum was significant to pre-Hispanic cultures primarily because of its commercial sector, which provided a staging area and shelter for ships traveling down the coast between Central America, Yucatan, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Although Tulum’s architecture has regional modalities that define the style known as “of the Eastern Coast,” it shares similarities with Chichén Itzá in terms of its design features, although the buildings are smaller in size, with minimal intricacy, height, and quality and sculpture modeling.
The Most Important Tulum Ruins You’ve Got To Visit
El Castillo. is one of the oldest and largest structures at this Mayan archaeological site, in contrast to the majority of the buildings, which date from the post-classic Maya period, between 1200 and 1450. El Castillo is a massive structure with limestone walls that rise above sea level situated right on the sea coast. Although its function would not be so much a watchtower, as a guide for navigators, in other words, it served as a lighthouse or lighthouse only for friendly ships.
When it was dark, the Mayan would illuminate two windows of the Castillo in Tulum, indicating that it was time to turn and head for land without being shipwrecked, something the Spanish sailors did not know when they first arrived, so they were unable to reach Tulum. Because of this, Tulum was a very important commercial port for the Maya, which was a gateway for goods arriving from the Gulf of Mexico, Central and South America.
The Palace’s size and the arrangement of the living spaces suggest that it formerly housed a sizable number of Tulum’s nobles and kings. Kukulcan and other gods are carved into the décor of the palace, which was built in the Puuc architectural style, which is popular in Yucatan. The west wing was later extended to the original “L”-shaped building to meet the demands of the expanding population, keeping Puuc’s design, and Kukulkan-honoring carvings and motifs can be seen in the decorating.
The Stela Temple, also known as the Temple of the Initial Series, is one of the most prominent temples in the same archaeological site. It is believed that it got its name because a stele had a date inscribed on it around the year 546 BC when Tulum was not yet the magnificent metropolis it would become.
They Both Sound Great, Which Tour Should I Pick Then, Tulum or Chichen Itza?
Truly the three ruins are highly different in some ways and similar in others, it depends more on what you’re looking for. Tulum for example is situated in a very stunning area, right on the Caribbean coast alongside the beautiful sea, where you can admire the turquoise seas. It is unquestionably a very amusing place. But, on the other hand, the ruins in Chichen Itza are better preserved, compared to El Castillo in Tulum, Chichen Itza’s is far taller and you can enjoy shadow shows of the Serpent God Kukulkan descending the steps of El Castillo.
Also, here you can visit the largest basketball court in Mesoamerica and other fascinating features of the complex Additionally, if you choose to take a Chichen Itza tour in September you can enjoy the equinox, a phenomenon that due to the Earth’s translational motion, the length of day and night is the same as the Sun located exactly on the equator line.
And if you were thinking, of Tulum or Chichen Itza….maybe I’ll choose the one where I can climb, the bad news is that neither of the pyramids are no longer allowed to be climbed. At some of the more distant Mayan sites such as Coba and Ek Balam, climbing is possible, though we wouldn’t really suggest it, since, after years of aging, the stairs are slick and not particularly secure.
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