CHICHEN ITZA
 About half way between Merida in the northwest and Cancun to the
southeast of the Yucatan Peninsula, from each a 90-minute drive, lies one
of the world’s most famous archeological sites—Chichen Itza. This Mayan
“City of the Water Sorcerers” was for centuries a place of pilgrimage, as
well as the political and military center of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is
the city which most attracted 19th century explorers, and where the most
renowned archeologists have worked to preserve and restore a very large
complex of buildings which attracts more than a million visitors a year,
and is internationally recognized as a World Heritage Site. Some say its
name means “Mouth of the Itza Well,” from chi (mouth), chen (well) and
Itza, the name of the Mayan group that settled there.
With its neighbor Uxmal it shares architectonic elements and possibly
religious beliefs, based around its most important deities—Chaac, god of
rain, and Quetzalcoatl or Kukulcan, the plumed serpent who came to Yucatan
from the Mexican highlands. The city held sway over a wide area and for a
long time controlled long-distance trade routes, as evidenced by the
numerous offerings of jade, gold, flint and other materials from distant
provinces of the Mayan world.
The Rome of the New World reached its apogee between the 11th and 13th
centuries, followed by a period of decadence and dereliction beginning in
the 15th century. However, like Rome, Chichen Itza did not resign itself
to oblivion. For many years after work stopped on the last building, its
well and sacred cenote (dzonot in Maya, which are natural cavities formed
when the limestone surface collapses and leaves underground water exposed)
continued to attract the faithful who came in long processions to make
offerings and sacrifices. The sacred cenote was dedicated exclusively to
the worship of Chaac, god of rain and waters. Sacred cenotes were very
important and involved various ceremonies and rites. After it was
depopulated, Chichen Itza continued to be a sacred sanctuary which,
together with Cozumel and Izamal, attracted the pious devotion of the
faithful.
The architectonic complex of Chichen Itza is located on a site 15 km.
square, divided into three parts—all of them important. The Castle, or
Pyramid of Kukulcan, which is dedicated to the cult of Kukulcan, is a
monumental pyramid of nine stepped levels (symbolizing the planes of the
underworld) and four faces decorated with designs of snakes and jaguars.
The four stairways have 91 steps each. In this building, during the Spring
and Fall equinoxes, the phenomenon of light and shadow occurs, which draws
thousands of visitors to view the “plumed serpent” (Kukulcan) descending
the staircase to Earth. There are also nightly light & sound shows
performed here.
The Temple of the Warriors, the Observatory, the Sacred Cenote, the
Ball Court, the Nuns’ House, the Akab Dzib and other buildings allow a
visitor to realize the greatness of this ancient Mayan metropolis. Many
structures and temples are linked by causeways called sacbe (sahk-BAY,
meaning “white road”) for ease of communication.
Some of Chichen Itza’s earliest buildings are built in the Puuk (POOK)
style of architecture, which flourished in the northern Yucatan Peninsula,
with decoration based on stone mosaics on friezes, latticework panels,
columnettes, and embedded columns on the corners of buildings. Others are
built in the Chenes style, with decorated friezes and roof crests. Toltec
influence began toward the end of the Classic Maya period (250 A.D. to 900
A.D.), so that during the post-Classic period (900 A.D. to the arrival of
the Spaniards in the early 1500s) Toltec style decorative elements were
added, such as eagles and jaguars devouring human hearts, Chaac Mool
figures, “atlante” statues (telamons, wearing the pectorals, belts and
wrist-bands that were customary parts of their professional attire) and
feathered serpents.
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