Mayan Ruins of the Yucatan Peninsula, Part 1

The Yucatan Peninsula is on of the worlds most famous archaeological sites. It is filled with the enchanting colonial cities, romantic haciendas and resorts. This area is a real cultural heritage, however, most of the visitors are attracted by the beautiful beaches, distinct cuisine and amazing Mayan ruins. These ruins can be found throughput the whole area and most visitors come to the Yucatan Peninsula in order to admire and explore these remainings of one of the greatest civilization in the world.
I will do my best to present you some of the most popular architectural sites I have had the opportunity to see during my stay in the Yucatan Peninsula. To begin with Chichen Itza. The name of this site actually means “the edge of the well of the Itzaes”. For ages this was the political, religious and military center of the North of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is divided into “old” and “new” Chichen due to the fact that it has been abandoned in the history, so two different cultures has been building it. Some of the most visited buildings are the Castillo, or “Castle,”which is dedicated to Kukulkan. It is especially interesting on the fall and spring equinox the sun strikes the side of the building making a play of light and shadow which appears as a snake along the steps of the building. Another interesting site is Temple of the Warriors, where hundreds of columns surround a massive temple structure carved with reliefs. And another thing I would like to point out is the Great Ballcourt which is the largest in Mesoamerica. The acoustics of the ballcourt are remarkable: a whisper from one end can be clearly heard at the other.
Another famous Mayan ruin is Mayapan, or in translation Mayan flag. In the history, this was the most important place after the fall of Chichen Itza. It is considered the last great Mayan stronghold. On the zone that covers 4 square km there are nearly 4000 structures, mostly residential buildings. Some of the constructions there contain mural paintings from the Mayan time. Here, in Mayapan there is also Castillo, but this one is actually replica of the one in Chichen Itza.

Uxmal - Mexico

The most important site of the Puuc region is Uxmal. There are two interpretations of the name of this place and they are “Three harvests” or “Three times built”. According to the legend, dwarf outwitted the king, became the new ruler and magically constructed the buildings of Uxmal and that is how the city was founded. On the site dominates the Pyramid of the Dwarf, this pyramid is also known as the Pyramid of the Magician.
Furthermore, we come to the site which original name is unknown, so it was called El Rey, meaning the king, due to the stone sculpture that was found on-site. This stone can be seen on exhibit in the Cancun Archaeology Museum. This site has 47 ancient structures that formed center of the small trade and fishing village.

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Mayan Ruins of the Yucatan Peninsula, Part 1