Chichen-Itza
"Mouth of the Well of Itza"
*Please see below for pictures of temple and background.
Sacrificial Well
This is the alter where they threw off the sacrifices.
Dave called this the long green mile. This is the path that took the virgins from the temple to the well.
Today the tour bus picked us up at the Resort at 7:45 am and we headed out of town for about 2 1/2 hours to see one of the new 7 wonders of the world. It is an ancient Mayan temple that was built in about 600 - 900 A.D.
Possibly the best known construction on the site is Kukulkan's Pyramid. El Castillo (Kukulkan-Quetzalcoatl), a square-based, stepped pyramid that is approximately 75 feet tall. This pyramid was built for astronomical purposes and during the vernal equinox (March 20) and the autumnal equinox (September 21) at about 3pm the sunlight bathes the western balustrade of the pyramid's main stairway. This causes seven isosceles triangles to form imitating the body of a serpent 37 yards long that creeps downwards until it joins the huge serpent's head carved in stone at the bottom of the stairway. Mexican researcher Luis El Arochi calls it "the symbolic descent of Kukulkan" (the feathered serpent), and believes it could have been connected with agricultural rituals. This temple was built over a second smaller temple. When you clap your hands you hear the sound of the Quetzal bird.
This area became an important religious center and is known for the well where they sacraficed young girls (between 4 and 12 years of age). There is a path that leads directly from the base of the temple to the alter where they threw the girls off into the well.
To find out more about this wonderful place, please click on the link below to read about the history and facts.
I remember studying about this place in my Spanish classes in high school and college. I can't believe you actually went there! Looks beautiful. I guess it's a good thing the pictures don't cause us to feel the heat and humidity along with you. Looks like a lot of fun and I hope it was. A mango popsicle is as good as pumpkin pie any day!
ReplyDeleteLeone