The ruins of Palenque are considered one of the most important Mayan archaeological sites in Mexico. Its beautiful natural surroundings are beyond any epithet. The ancient city is located among wooded hills, in the morning the ruins are often shrouded in thick fog, a small stream flows nearby, in the middle of a canopy of dark green forest, large pyramids and temples grow. It sounds too good to be reality, but this is how it really is. The combination of nature and ancient ruins gives this place a special aura. The Mexican government gave Palenque the status of a national park in 1981, and has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987.
Palenque - the lost city of the Maya
During its cultural heyday, Palenque was much more beautiful, because the monuments were covered with decorative plaster, painted in blue shades. The existence of the city hidden deep in the jungle was not known until 1746. Even then, rediscovered, Palenque was lost several times until, finally, explorers John Lloyd Stevens and Frederick Catherwood finally presented the world with this pearl of Mayan architecture (1841).
A settlement on this site existed since 300 BC, but Palenque acquired the status of an important Mayan city in the classical period (300-900). Most of the surviving buildings were built between the 7th and 10th centuries, and he reached the pinnacle of power during the reign of Pakal and his son Chan-Bahlum (600 to 700 AD).
Then the inhabitants left the city, and since this region of Mexico receives the most rainfall, the ruins quickly hid in the thick thickets of the jungle. Even the original name of the city is lost, the surviving ruins get their current name from the nearby small town of Santo Domingo de Palenque. Today, about a third of the city has been excavated by archaeologists. Wandering between the ruins or looking around the park from the top of high-rise monuments, hills are visible everywhere. For the most part, these are not hills, but Mayan temples and pyramids hidden by jungle thickets.
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The main advantage of Palenque is not in its size or antiquity (many other archaeological sites are larger and older). Its importance lies in its location (in the middle of the jungle), atypical Maya architecture and epigraphy (inscriptions). Thanks to the epigraphy, archaeologists have managed to restore many pages of the city's history.
Compared to Chichen Itza, the lesser-known Palenque has a relaxed atmosphere and less intrusive locals trying to sell souvenirs to visiting tourists. In addition, tourists are not prohibited from climbing most of the ancient pyramids. Plan to spend most of the day, then you can visit all the monuments, walk in the jungle, and spend some more time at the museum. It is best to visit the ruins in the early morning after the park opens at 8 am, when the pyramids are shrouded in fog against the backdrop of the jungle.
Palenque Palace
Palenque differs from any other Mayan archaeological site not only by the richness of relief images and carved decorations, but also by the interesting architecture of its palace. The palace is the largest structure on the territory of the archaeological park; it is a complex of buildings built at different times, and divided into four parts by a labyrinth of corridors, residential and administrative premises.
At first, it was believed that the palace served as the residence of the rulers and clergy, later came to the conclusion that it performed administrative functions. Here political and military alliances with other Mayan city-states were concluded, donations were made, it served as a place for entertainment, sacrifices, and ritual ceremonies.
The main feature of the palace is the four-story tower, which is not found in any other Mayan city. Thanks to this unique tower, the palace looks almost like a Chinese one. When archaeological research began, many ideas were put forward about what functions it performed. It is believed that from the height of the Mayan tower, they watched the sun's rays fall directly on the Temple of the Inscriptions on the day of the winter solstice.
Temple of the Inscriptions in Palenque
The Temple of the Inscriptions (Templo de las Inscripciones) is one of the most famous pyramids in America and the tallest monument in Palenque. The temple is named after the stone tablets with inscriptions found here. Most of the stone tablets that tell about the family tree of the Palenque rulers are now in the National Anthropological Museum in Mexico City. Thanks to the texts and reliefs found here, the Temple of the Inscriptions greatly helped in the study of the ancient Mayan culture.
The Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque is the only pyramid in Mexico built specifically as a tomb. In 1952, Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz moved a stone slab in the floor at the top of the pyramid and discovered a stone-filled passage leading down a long staircase. This is how the tomb of Kinich Hanab Pakal, the famous ruler of Palenque, who ruled this city-state for 68 years (615 - 683), was discovered. This tomb is one of the most famous artifacts in the Mayan world. It contained rich decorations, sculptural images, but the most interesting is the stone sarcophagus, in which the remains of Pakal lay untouched from the moment of burial.
Unfortunately, Pakal's tomb is currently closed to the public to avoid further damage to its frescoes. While in Mexico City, you can see the sarcophagus lid in a jade death mask at the National Museum of Anthropology (see Mexico City museums), but the massive stone sarcophagus still remains here.
Group of the Cross in Palenque
The Cross Group consists of the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Deciduous Cross and the Temple of the Cross, all of which are pyramids with a temple on top, crowned with comb stone decorations. The walls of each of the temples are covered with sculptures of religious themes and Mayan texts.
The images of a cross found on the walls of temples are not at all a cross that is familiar to us, but represent the tree of the world. The tree of the world was a common ornament among the pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica, embodying the four cardinal points.
Palenque Museum
The Palenque Museum is located 1.5 km before the entrance to the park, open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, its visit is included in the cost of visiting the ruins. The museum is small, but interesting, exhibits discovered during archaeological excavations are exhibited here: jade jewelry, a huge collection of ceramic incense burners, several stone panels with inscriptions. The main exhibit of the museum is a life-size replica of Pakal's sarcophagus, housed in a replica of the plexiglass tomb. The museum has a gift shop.
Palenque has a number of other temples, pyramids, noble residences, an aqueduct and an interesting stone bridge over the river.
Interesting facts about Palenque
- The Mayan ruins are located about 7 km from the small town of Santo Domingo de Palenque. There are hotels, good cafes and restaurants, but visitors come here primarily to explore the famous ruins of the ancient Mayan city.
- The Tourist Office is located near the main square of Santo Domingo de Palenque, at the corner of Avenida Juárez and Abasolo streets. It is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm, Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm.
- The cheapest way to get there and back is by minibuses (colectivos), which run between the center of Santo Domingo de Palenque and the Mayan ruins every 10 minutes from morning to evening.
- Between Santo Domingo de Palenque and the Mayan ruins is La Canada, a popular tourist hotel zone (located in the forest). On the way to the ruins, minibuses pass by La Canada, wave your hand and they will stop immediately.