The ruins of the Mayan city of Uxmal are among the most impressive in the Yucatan Peninsula. Its Pukk-style buildings are some of the most beautiful in all Mayan culture.
The very name Uxmal, according to the most widespread version, means “built three times”, which probably indicates that the city has repeatedly undergone large-scale restructuring. The date of the foundation of Uxmal is unknown (although some sources even give the exact date - August 7, 1007, the city clearly existed long before it). It is believed to have flourished between 800 and 1000 BC, at the end of the so-called. Classic Maya period. At that time its population exceeded 20,000 people. Later, as a result of wars with the neighboring cities of Chichen Itza and Mayapan, as well as other reasons, Uxmal began to weaken and after 1200 was, most likely, completely abandoned by the inhabitants.
The unconditional dominant of the entire complex of preserved buildings - the so-called. Pyramid of the Wizard (Piramide del Adivino).
The Wizard's Pyramid is also called the Pyramid or the Dwarf Castle. This name is associated with the legend that it was erected in one night by a dwarf wizard "on a bet" with the ruler of the city. After that, the ruler had to give up his post to the magician, who later did a lot of good for the city's inhabitants.
In reality, the pyramid was built, according to archaeologists, for about 400 years, and not all at once, but in 5 stages. A unique feature of the Sorcerer's Pyramid is the oval shape of its base (all other Mayan pyramids have a rectangular base).
The conquistadors came here in the 16th century and found the city abandoned and swallowed up by the jungle, so no one now knows for sure what purpose this or that building served. The Spaniards gave them names based solely on external similarities. For lack of anything better, they are still used today.
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To the west of the Wizard's Pyramid is the so-called. Women's Monastery (Casa de las Monjas, aka the Quadrangle or the Courtyard of the Monks).
The northern building of the complex is raised on a platform. Its length is more than 100 meters.
It is understandable why the Spaniards called this place a "monastery": 4 rectangular buildings around a vast courtyard, and in each building there are many small rooms that look like monks' cells (there are 74 of them, as they say).
On both sides of the stairs are small temples.
The upper part of the building is decorated with exquisite stone carvings. The masks of the rain god Chaak, who was especially revered in Uxmal, are clearly visible.
All buildings around the courtyard have their own original, different decor. A characteristic feature of the Puuk architectural style is the upper part of the building (frieze), richly decorated with stone carvings, and smooth walls in the lower part.
Western building * Monastery *.
The western building is decorated with images of the feathered serpent Quetzalcoatl, with the tail of a rattlesnake and the head of a man.
The eastern side of the * monastery *. There are also many snakes here, but in a different style, closer to the Toltec.
Despite the external monumentality of these and other buildings, the internal premises in them are very small in area. It is not known why, but the ancient Maya did not know how or did not want to make flat ceilings in the premises. Instead of floor beams, they erected a high vault, the stones of which were held on the back by a powerful backing. Because of this, the rooms turned out to be high, but very narrow.
It is hardly possible to fully live or engage in, say, state affairs in such narrow * cells *.
To the south of the Convent is a must-see for all Mesoamerican cities - a ball stadium.
This game was widespread in ancient Mesoamerica (a region from modern southern Mexico to Costa Rica). Maya called her "pok-ta-pok" (Aztecs - "tlachtli"). Nobody knows the exact rules anymore, besides, in different places and at different times it was played in different ways. The common thing was that the two teams played a heavy rubber ball, hitting it with their hips, elbows, shoulders, in some variants with bats or special belts, preventing the ball from falling to the ground. The game had a lot of religious meaning. Most likely, initially it was not a sports event at all in our understanding, but rather a religious ceremony. Presumably, the purpose of the "game" was to move the ball from one side of the field to the other, preventing it from falling to the ground, which symbolized the movement of the Sun across the sky. Subsequently, the sports component began to occupy an increasing place,displacing the religious. Stone rings appeared on the side walls of the stadium. The team that threw the ball into the ring seemed to be winning. Sometimes (but probably not always), after the game, the captain of one of the teams (possibly the loser, and, perhaps, the winner) was sacrificed by chopping off the head. By the time the Spaniards arrived, the Indians continued to play ball, but the religious meaning of this action was already firmly forgotten. But the game continued to be very dangerous - hitting a heavy rubber ball in the head or stomach led to serious injury, or even death (such cases were recorded by the Spaniards). In a greatly modified form, this game is still played today - it is called ulama.far from always) after the game, the captain of one of the teams (possibly the loser, and, perhaps, the winner) was sacrificed by cutting off the head. By the time the Spaniards arrived, the Indians continued to play ball, but the religious meaning of this action was already firmly forgotten. But the game continued to be very dangerous - hitting a heavy rubber ball in the head or stomach led to serious injury, and even death (such cases were recorded by the Spaniards). In a greatly modified form, this game is still played today - it is called ulama.far from always) after the game, the captain of one of the teams (possibly the loser, and, perhaps, the winner) was sacrificed by cutting off the head. By the time the Spaniards arrived, the Indians continued to play ball, but the religious meaning of this action was already firmly forgotten. But the game continued to be very dangerous - hitting a heavy rubber ball in the head or stomach led to serious injury, or even death (such cases were recorded by the Spaniards). In a greatly modified form, this game is still played today - it is called ulama. But the game continued to be very dangerous - hitting a heavy rubber ball in the head or stomach led to serious injury, or even death (such cases were recorded by the Spaniards). In a greatly modified form, this game is still played today - it is called ulama. But the game continued to be very dangerous - hitting a heavy rubber ball in the head or stomach led to serious injury, and even death (such cases were recorded by the Spaniards). In a greatly modified form, this game is still played today - it is called ulama.
To the south-west of the stadium there is another large building of unknown purpose - the so-called. "Dovecote" (so named because of the large number of small windows on the "ridges" in the upper part). Well, the temple is probably another, what else:
General view of the center of Uxmal:
In the foreground is the stadium, behind it is the Women's Monastery, on the right is the Pyramid of the Wizard.
To the west of the stadium is another impressive building in Uxmal - the Governor's Palace (Palacio del Gobernador, in fact, of course, it is not known what this building was intended for, was it a temple, palace or something else). Raised on a 12-meter platform with a facade length of almost 100 meters, this is one of the best buildings in the Puuk style.
Everything is as it should be - smooth walls below and a magnificent carved frieze on top.
The building consists of three parts, separated by two such half-open "rooms".
The interiors are arranged according to the same principle, so that their area is very small, especially compared to the size of the entire structure. It is hard to imagine that any serious religious or secular ceremony could be held in such "closets". Probably, the main action, whatever it was, still took place on the street, on a wide terrace in front of the "palace".
Uxmal is located about 70 km south-west of Merida (more than 300 km from Cancun). From Merida to Uxmal there are regular buses from the central bus station (Terminal de Autobuses Merida, corner of Calle 69 and 70). Drive a little over an hour.
Open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. Entrance 223 pesos (for foreigners).
Coordinates 20.360, -89.770
