Chichen Itza

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Because of its monumental and extraordinary architectural beauty, Chichen Itza is considered the most important archaeological zone of the Yucatan Peninsula; and because of this, the most visited. One of the main buildings of this zone is the Great Castle or Pyramid of Kukulcan, the greatest expression of the maya-tolteca culture, symbol of Yucatan, a witness to the magnificent splendor that was attained by the Mayan race in that region, particulary for their studies of mathematics and astrophysics, as it is best shown in the building the "Observatory". Among the principle constructions of the "Classical Chichen" are The Osario or Tomb of the Great Priest, the Red House or Chichan Chob, the House of the Deer, The Observatory or Snail, the House of the Sisters, The Church, The Akabdzib, The Temple of the Sculpted Tables and the Cenote X'toloc. Among the constructions of the "New Chichen" is The Castle, The Market, The Steam Bath, The Temple of the Warriors or Thousand Columns, The Platform of Venus or the Dance, The Tzopantli or Platform of Skulls, The Platform of Jaguars and Eagles, The Ball court and the Sacred Cenote for Sacrifices. Chichen Itza, the magic spot and patron of humanity, that you should hope to visit in order to share its secrets.

Activities - One of the main activities in the archaeological zone to admire is the show of the Equinox (Descent of Kukulcan of Feathered Serpent) on the 21 of March and 22 of September, as well as the Light and Sound shows, held daily at 20:00 hours in Spanish and at 21:00 hours in English. There is an auditorium in which you can see a selection of documents of the Mayan region in both English and in Spanish. Also one can make the journey through the whole archaeological zone with a guided tour, visiting not only the buildings but also the "Sacred Cenote". One can acquire very diverse crafts as well as enjoy exquisite regional and international food and visit the Museum located in the Tourist Area.

How To Get There - The Archaeological Zone of Chichen Itza is in the State of Yucatan, in the southeast of the Mexican Republic, in the municipality of Tinum and the town of Piste, located in the mideastern part of the state. Departing by air from the Federal District, to the Capital of the State (Merida), the approximate flight time is 1 hour 25 minutes; by highway it is 22 hours (1,458 kilometers) approximately. From the capital of the state to the town of Piste is 120 kilometers (2 hours) approximately by highway. HISTORY It was founded in the year 514 of our Era by the Mayan priest Lakin Chan, known also as Itzamna, and because of this the inhabitants were named after their founder, the Chanes or Itzaes. Its architecture first belongs to the Puuc style from the classical Mayan period (600-1000 A.D.), all the construction of that time are known commonly as "Classical Chichen". Most of the construction of the following time, known as post-classic (1000-1250 A.D.), is in the area commonly called "New Chichen".

Tips - The archaeological zone is open every day from 08:00 to 17:00 hrs. On Sundays the admission is free. It is recommended that you wear comfortable clothes and tennis shoes, also do not enter with food or alcoholic beverages.

PHOTOS

You can even look at ethnic and multicultural images for free e-cards and posters.

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