This cave with such a difficult to pronounce name is located in the Central American state of Belize, not far from the small town of San Ignacio, which looks more like a tourist village.
One of the most interesting sights of this area is the unique Aktun-Tunichil-Muknal cave ("The Crystal Tomb Cave").
It was discovered among the impenetrable jungle according to the concepts of archaeologists quite recently - in 1989, but since then the flow of tourists has not stopped here. The fact is that this cave was at one time a ritual place for the Mayan tribe, and they used it for the last time about fifteen centuries ago. Since sacrifices were carried out in Mayan rituals, about fourteen skeletons rest in the cave. Moreover, as the researchers found out, the ancient aborigines were not particularly scrupulous about what kind of people should be sacrificed to their cruel gods, for this reason half of the skeletons are children under 6 years old, the rest half are adults from 20 to 50 years old.
The uniqueness of this cave lies in the fact that the Belizean authorities have forbidden to take out for research, restoration and museums everything that was found here. Moreover, even excursions to Aktun-Tunichil-Muknal are strictly regulated, they can only be conducted by some guides who have received special certificates for this.
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Journey to the Crystal Crypt Cave
Such an excursion for visitors is a real trip lasting 6-7 hours. First, tourists climb a mountain road through a real jungle, crossing several streams ford. Then, also, only through a stream of water near the main arch of the cave, you can get directly to Aktun-Tunichil-Muknal, which has a length of almost five kilometers, and its last and most interesting for tourists hall "Cathedral" is located at the very end. Therefore, everything about everything takes at least two hours of excursion under the arches of a unique grotto.
It was in the “Cathedral” that the Mayan sacrifices took place, and it is here that you can see the most amazing exhibit of this “museum in the cave” - the “crystal girl”. She was named so far not by chance, because centuries-old deposits on her body, reflecting light, served as that, which creates the impression of her "crystal". The artifact glows, say the cave visitors, as if it were made of a unique rock crystal. This is how this exhibit got such an amazing name - the crystal girl, and the cave of sacrifices itself began to be called a crystal tomb.
I would like to say a few more words about some incidents that took place here. In 2012, a tourist managed to drop a video camera onto a skeleton, breaking his skull. The second negligent visitor acted even more imprudently: in impulses of admiration for the cave, he simply stepped on and crushed its unique remains. Since then, the Belizean authorities have banned the taking of photographic and video equipment into the cave, with the exception of the camera, which is at the guide. Moreover, now it is not allowed to enter the cave in shoes, however, no one will let you in Aktun-Tunichil-Muknal on your bare feet. It is imperative to wear socks so as not to leave any traces in this "sacred place".