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Stairway to the clouds
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Chichen Itza (from Yukatek Maya chich'en itza', "At the mouth of the well of the Itza (people)") is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization, located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, present-day Mexico.
From roughly 600 CE in the middle of the Maya Classic period, it was a major city, achieving its greatest growth and power after the Maya sites of the central lowlands to the south had already collapsed. The Postclassic occupation at the site saw extensive additions of structures and motifs in a style more reminiscent of Central Mexican / "Toltec" cultures. This was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these "non-Maya" styles more as the result of cultural diffusion. Revolt and civil war among the Maya in 1221 CE, evidenced by archeological findings of burned buildings, led to Chichen Itza's decline and rulership over Yucatán shifted to Mayapan. It was briefly conquered and occupied by Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Montejo in 1531 CE.
Dominating the center of Chichén is the Temple of Kukulcan (the Maya name for Quetzalcoatl), often referred to as "El Castillo" (the castle). This step pyramid with a ground plan of square terraces with stairways up each of the 4 sides to the temple on top. Great sculptures of Plumed Serpents run down the sides of the northern staircase, and are set off by shadows from the corner tiers on the Spring and Fall equinox. It was practice in Mesoamerican cities to periodically build larger and grander temple pyramids atop older ones, and this is one such example. Thanks to archeologists, a doorway at the base of the north stairway leads to a tunnel, from which one can climb the steps of the earlier version of El Castillo inside the current one, up to the room on the top where you can see King Kukulcan's Jaguar Throne, carved of stone and painted red with jade spots. The design of the older pyramid inside is said to be a lunar calender, with the newer pyramid being a solar calendar. |
Jorge, drackness, MLINES has marked this note useful
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- Jorge
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 128 W: 6 N: 26]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/g-n-s.gif)
(417) - [2006-11-03 14:51]
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Que buena imagen tienes aqui. Excelente punto de vista, buenos y vivos colores y porsupuesto una muy buena nota.
TFS,
Jorge
Excelente foto Joao... simplemente me fascino, te felicito por esta toma tan buena que tienes de la pirámide... una gran foto... saludos...
Hi Joao, Good composition with clouds looking surreal. Excellent note. Marbe could be sharpened a touch. Murray.
I know they found a big statue direct in Mexico and they believe there is perhaps a secret cave under. The statue weigh some tons. A great classic in the culture well seen with those tourists!
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- cokke
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 433 W: 109 N: 909]](http://i1.treklens.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(4355) - [2006-11-08 23:44]
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Hola Joao, como mexicano me siento muy orgullo que una persona extranjera muestre las maravillas arquitectonicas de mi pais, en lo particular te lo agradezco.
