Are you looking for the top
Mayan ruins in Mexico to visit? A trip to Mexico isn't only about the sun, the
sea, and mariachi music! Mexico is one of the top tourist destinations on the
planet, with its rich history, vivid culture, and bustling cities. Of course,
no trip to Mexico would be complete without visiting the country's most famous
Mayan ruins. But first, let us learn about the magnificent civilization that
left behind these everlasting masterpiece.
Who were the Maya?
The Mayas arrived in
Mesoamerica about 1500 BCE and established agricultural settlements. In
reality, the Maya empire spanned most of what is now Mexico and Central
America. They began to create vast ceremonial sites and spectacular stone towns
in the 3rd century CE, employing complicated irrigation and terracing
technologies. A hieroglyphic writing system, complex astrological calendars,
and techniques for comprehending celestial bodies were also developed. Indeed,
the Maya's holy texts, known as 'codex,' are a source of much current understanding
about this ancient civilization.
Between 250 and 900
CE, the Maya civilization was in its Classical Period. At the time, the
civilization consisted of more than 40 big cities in Mexico and Guatemala, each
with a population of up to 50,000. Naturally, the Mayans' fall resulted in many
of these towns being abandoned and overrun by vegetation. Unfortunately, there
is no clear consensus on why this magnificent Mesoamerica civilization fell
apart, although some theories include military conflict, agricultural land
depletion, and trading route interruption. Nonetheless, the Maya of old left
behind many spectacular ruins, and here are the top Mayan ruins in Mexico to
visit:
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza
is the most well-known of all the Mayan towns. The city was once a religious,
military, political, and commercial center, with a population of 35,000 people.
It is now one of the Seven Wonders of the World. More than 1000 years of
history are represented on the site. If you visit Chichen Itza, you may see 26
Mayan-era constructions.
The Temple
of Kukulcan, Chichen Itza's most famous building, is located in the center of
the site. The 'Serpent Effect,' which occurs when the northwest corner of the
Kukulcan pyramid throws a snake-like shadow on the central stairway, can be
seen if you visit the Spring or Autumn equinoxes! Furthermore, the site is
conveniently located near the famed resorts of Cancun and the Riviera Maya,
making it Mexico's most visited Mayan city.
Monte Alban
Monte Alban
was one of the earliest big Mesoamerican towns, founded approximately 500 BCE.
Monte Alban, located in the southern state of Oaxaca, predates the Mayan
civilization. The Zapotecs, who interacted with various Mesoamerican tribes,
including the early Maya, resided and left their mark on this spectacular site.
If you visit this spectacular site today, you will be astounded by its
vastness, intricate construction, and stone sculptures. Monte Alban offers a
glimpse into the civilizations that inspired subsequent Mesoamerican towns and
societies, albeit it is not precisely a Mayan ruin.
Palenque
Palenque was
a Maya city-state surrounded by virgin forests. It is smaller than Chichen
Itza, having been founded in 226 BCE. Its importance to our knowledge of Maya
culture is, nevertheless, undeniable. The stone sculptures and architecture
are, in fact, among the best in the Mayan world—Palenque, located in the
Tumbalá Mountains, with a beautiful view of the jungle. Palenque, in Chiapas,
is one of the country's most important Mayan ruins.
Uxmal
Uxmal is one
of Mexico's incredible Mayan ruins, located 70 kilometers south of Merida in
the Yucatan state. Uxmal was founded in approximately 700 CE and had a
population of around 25,000 people at its height. Towering pyramid-shaped
temples, lengthy, low-rise palaces, and an assortment of elaborate and
endlessly intriguing frieze sculptures may be found on the site.
The central
Pyramid of the Magician is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular Mayan
buildings ever built. In addition, the layout of Uxmal is distinctive. Uxmal,
unlike other Mayan-era ruins, is not a geometrical structure. The structures of
Uxmal, on the other hand, are said to be coordinated with celestial occurrences
such as the sun's rising and setting. Uxmal, abandoned in the 10th century, is
unquestionably one of Mexico's best-preserved Mayan ruins.
Tulum
Tulum
overlooks the Caribbean Sea and is one of the most spectacular Mayan ruins. The
Tulum Mayan ruins, conveniently located on the Riviera Maya, are among the most
popular in Mexico. It's one of the final Mayan towns to be created, a
significant remnant from the civilization's closing years. Tulum is remarkable
because of its location, although being more petite than Chichen Itza. It was
an important maritime trade center and one of the only Maya cities built on the
coast. The city would have been impregnable to incoming invaders if reinforced
walls had surrounded it. The clifftop Castillo watchtower and the painted
murals of the Templo de las Pinturas are two of the site's highlights.
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