May 5, 2011

Ek Balam is a Yucatec Maya name which may be converted as “the black jaguar” or “bright star jaguar.” The enormous dimensions on the buildings on this site are what be noticed, and also the indisputable fact that two walls surround the central part – an infrequent attribute. The most important structures are found inside the walled enclosure of less than one square kilometer and so are distributed within two large, connected plazas termed as the Central and South Plazas. Numerous constructions of numerous sizes are found around these. The walls have five entrances in several parts of its periphery and five sak be´oob (roads) which depart with the entrances in the direction of the 4 cardinal points. The South side of the wall is a special case. It has two entrances and two sak be´oob. The most important cultural period at Ek Balam was the Late Classic (700 – 1000 A.D.), however the early inhabitants remained living there until after 900A.D., as shown by a few small constructions built next date. Their characteristics are extremely different constitute the older buildings which make it clear that the society suffered some changes and dedicated less resources and work to construction.

Commander Juan Gutiérrez Picón relates while in the “Account of Ek Balam – 1579,” that Captain Francisco de Montejo granted him the administrative centre from the district of Tiquibalon (Ek Balam containing five villages) for having been one of many conquerors of the region. İn accordance with this account, it is also stated that Tiquibalon was founded and populated from the great man called Ek Balam, who built most of the five structures to begin. Other captains under his orders constructed the remaining.

Structure 17 (above) which we call the twins, is situated to the West of the South Plaza to represent the best conserved architectural characteristics at Ek Balam. It is formed with a large foundation where two others were created to support two vaulted buildings of 4 rooms each. The dwelling measures 40 m. in length, 17 m. wide and is approximately 6 m. high.

Structure 10 (above right) measures 43 m. in length, 30 m. wide and is roughly 5 m. high. You’ll find three more structures on its upper part. Two of most are low platforms with no construction on top of them and also the other is a small vaulted temple with thick walls and an alter located in its interior. Because of its architectural characteristics, it’s associated with the “miniature temples” of the East coast of Quintana Roo. Even though the base corresponds to the Late Classic (700 – 1000 A.D.), top of the structures were not built prior to the Post Classic (1200 – 1542 A.D.)

The decoration of Ek Balam’s building facades wasn’t completed with carved figures within the stones as it was at Uxmal and Chichen Itza, though stucco and limestone mortar modeled into distinct forms and painted. Throughout the excavation, two stucco masks put together which formed area of the decoration. The only decorative stone elements in this particular building include the small hoops in the corners of the rooms.

The optimum time to travel to Ek Balam is during a trip to the ruins of Chichen Itza, or even the colonial city of Valladolid in the interior of Yucatan. Ek Balam archaeological zone is roughly a 2 hour drive on the Riviera Maya and is located 40± kms north of Valladolid in relation to Rio Lagartos. From Tulum it’s easiest to accept the Coba road west, stay right with the Coba ruins exit and continue on the street to Chemax and Valladolid. From Cancun it is easiest to take the Cuota road toward Merida and exit at Valladolid, then go north. There exists a sign up the exit bring.

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May 4, 2011

The ruins of Kohunlich and Dzibanche certainly are a couple real gems. Completely encompassed by the lush foliage with the tropical jungle these time worn ruins possess a mystical quality that is certainly increased by the insufficient vacationers, who seldom project this far south. For this reason these are frequented by various tropical wildlife and exotic birds. On any given day, it’s not unusual to find yourself alone to wander the maze of paths contributing for the different plazas.

Also within the state of QR would be the ruins of Chakanbakan and Oxtankah on the shores of Chetumal Bay; and Chacchoben located off highway 307 north of Bacalar near Limones village moving around from Chetumal to Majahual.

To achieve Dzibanche take highway 307 (Cancun/ Tulum highway) roughly 3.5 hours south of Tulum to where 307 ends with the Chetumal/ Escarcega highway (past the capital of scotland – Bacalar). Turn right. At kilometer 58 (sign for Dzibanche/ Morocoy) turn right again and drive 22 kms on the ruin site.

To reach Kohunlich continue beyond the turn for Dzibanche within the Chetumal/ Escarcega freeway, and travel just 2 kms farther on, then turn left (in conjunction with the sign for Kohunlich) and travel around 9.5 kms for the Kohunlich ruins.

In the nearby state of Campeche you will discover quite a few more archaeological sites together with; Xpuhil, Chicanna, Becan, Rio Bec, Hormiguero and Calakmul. These kind of are turns journey Chetumal/ Escarcega highway, farther west throughout the Quintana Roo / Campeche State border. Some are placed off road and so are very hard to get at. The simplest way to visit the area is to spend the night down within the Bacalar / Chetumal area.

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May 3, 2011

Mayapan, or Banner of the Mayas, is the last great Maya capital, dating from the beginning of the calculation, and reached its golden age during the Post Classic. It is believed that this city was once a population of 12 000 inhabitants. Kukulkan Chichen Itza II Mayapan established between 1263 and 1283 AD. After his death, a family Cocoom aggressively took over and used as a basis for Mayapan subjected to northern Yucatan. They managed through wars Tabascan mercenaries and intermarriage with other powerful families. Cocoom reigned 250 years, until 1441-1461 AD upsart Uxmal is based on a family named Xiu Cocoom rebelled and slaughtered.

Mayapan former grandeur is still evident in its great buildings. There is a strong influence played by Chichen Itza, as seen in its main building, a small copy of the Castillo of Kukulcan. The central square is surrounded by government buildings, administrative and religious houses of the ruling class. These structures were built on the basis of rows of pillars, with temples and shrines, an altar to the rear and benches along the sides. There is also the round buildings known as “observatories” and the small shrines representing ancient cities.

They painted the frescoes, which are still visible, is the style used in the Code of the post classic period. The murals depict scenes of war and events related to the cult of death, evidence of cultural links with the years of the highlands of central Mexico.

Although it is believed that a Mayapan Uxmal and Chichen Itza formed the Triple Alliance, in recent archaeological excavations indicate that the latter two cities actually flourished well before Mayapan. What is true is that the city was the central government to remind Chichen Itza. Mayapan continue to flourish between 1250 and 1450 Mid-1400 marked the end of the city when the rebellion was defeated and nearly destroyed the city Mayapan. The middle of the fifteenth century Mayapan was destroyed, burned and abandoned. More research and studies done in this area is becoming increasingly evident that this city was even more important than previously thought.

Church and Monastery of Mani Yucatan, the site of the infamous 1562 burning of the Mayan codices and manuscripts of Bishop Fray Diego de Landa. Like most Spanish colonial churches of Yucatan was built with carved stones of pre-Columbian Maya temples. The stakes stuck Landa ash nearly all written by Maya. Only three codes are known to have survived. Landa has announced the books contained “nothing but the lies of the devil,” and burned them to support its mission to convert the Maya to Christianity.

Mani is continually occupied about 4,000 years. In the post-classic Mesoamerica, which was home to Xiu Tutal Maya dynasty, who moved their capital here in Uxmal 13th century. Xiu was the dominant power in western Yucatan after the fall of 1441 to Mayapan An annual festival in honor of the god Kukulcan were held here.

The old Franciscan monastery founded in 1549 as the y Exconvento Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel. Inside, there are some wall paintings from the colonial era. restoration of the monastery and his work began in 2001. Mani is about 100 km south southeast of Merida, Yucatan.

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Muyil Chunyaxché and modern names are used to refer to the archaeological site from two large lagoon is located outside the region, both within the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Muyil 22 is the most important pre-Hispanic settlements in Sian Ka’an, and is located 12 km from the Caribbean coast, about 25 km south of Tulum Pueblo on Highway 307

Architecturally, the site is divided into two areas: Muyil Muyil and B. The first of these is open to the public and extends for 38 hectares of jungle. It ‘was a densely populated settlement was pre-Hispanic, a large number of civil and religious, and residential construction, only some of which have been discovered by archaeologists. Given the proximity of the city to ruin Muyil lagoon is believed to have been the first stop impotatant Hispanic Maya maritime trade route along the coast. There is evidence that the use of natural input and Maya beaches up and down the coast, the beaches of the ruins of Tulum, Tankah, Akumal, Xaac, Paamul, Chakalal input and Xel-Ha and Xcaret (which are all Mayan ruins of related). Landlocked lagoons and Muyil Chunyaxché connected by a narrow channel of water that will be dredged to allow access to the ancient Maya Despite the Caribbean Sea and Laguna Campechen entrance to Boca Paila.

The secondary sector Muyil is located 2 km northeast of the first and the core is composed of small structures.

The information obtained to date indicates that the Mayan groups began to settle here around 300 BC C. It is the culmination of centuries before the ancient cities of Chichen Itza Maya, Uxmal and Tulum. It is believed that the site was used by the Maya to the first decades of the 16th century, when Francisco de Montejo, led the Spanish conquest of Yucatan. According to documents from the colonial era, the Spanish camp was first established in 1527 by Montejo, near the port and then Maya Xel-ha, and called Salamanca Xala.

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May 1, 2011

Tulum’s greatest attraction is its location. It stands on a promontory facing the rising sun from view overlooking the Caribbean that are nothing short of spectacular. Maya, Tulum means “wall”, and the city so named because it is a walled city, one of the few ancients ever built. According to studies, was formerly called Zama or “dawn” of the day, which is suitable as a location. Feels “Tulum” is the name of the site after a visit to the explorers Stephens and Catherwood in 1841, just before the Caste War in 1847, long after the city had to give up and fell into disrepair. They ordered the trees removed and Catherwood drew illustrations of temples, and then published in their famous book “The diversion of travel in Yucatan.” Juan José Gálvez is actually credited to the discovery of Tulum in 1840.

The previous survey for the site is AD 564 (the inscription on a stele) The site of Tulum in the classical period, although we know that its height was much later (1200 to 1521 AD) during the last post-classical period. Tulum is an important link in the network of major Mayan trade. Both sea and land routes converged here. Artifacts found in or near the site of contacts show ranging from central Mexico to Central America and everywhere: the copper rings bells and Mexican highlands around flint and pottery, jade and obsidian Yucatan Guatemala and more. The first Europeans to see Tulum was probably Juan de Grijalva and his men as they sailed recognition along the eastern coast of Yucatan in 1518. The Spanish later returned to conquer the peninsula without realizing Old World diseases that decimated the native population. And Tulum, like so many cities before it was abandoned to the elements.

When visitors arrive in Tulum old prehispanic site they can see the buildings that was once the main city center (ceremonial and political), a monumental wall surrounded by the most famous of the Mayan world. Around this wall, in an area not open to visitors, there were many wooden houses and palm. Today, virtually no evidence of these houses exist.

The town square in the city was probably once used for rituals or ceremonies and is flanked by the Castillo (The Castle) to the west. Castillo, sometimes called the lighthouse is the tallest building in Tulum and the most famous. It is found in over the cliff, overlooking the ocean and the coast for miles in both directions. The structure has undergone several stages of construction and superior rooms lintels are carved with the motif of the feathered serpent. The rooms are arched Classic Maya.

There is another interesting structure. The facade is a figure carved upside down, and the walls show traces of original pigments used by the Maya. The figures downward thought to represent a deity and Tulum appears to have been the center of his worship.

The facade of the Temple of the Initial Series has several stucco figures and the first found in Tulum was a wake in the inner sanctum. Equally important are the temple of the frescoes are filled with murals, now mostly obliterated by time and elements. The temple contains traces of various architectural styles. The House of the columns is more complex than most structures at the site and should be considered. It is a palace-like structure with four rooms, including the main entrance faces south. Six columns support the roof of the main hall is an altar covered. With the exception of its eastern flank, which is open to the sea, Tulum is completely surrounded by a low wall. Views instead of the 2 corners of the west and within each tower is an altar. A small stream at the foot of the cliffs, sandy apron white as snow. This is where trading ships Caleta, sliding to the floor.

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History

The name Uxmal means “thrice built” in Mayan, referring to the construction of its highest structure, the Pyramid of the Magician. The Mayans used to build a new church in an existing, and in this case five stages of construction have actually been found. Uxmal was one of the largest cities in the Yucatan Peninsula, and at its peak, home to about 25,000 Maya. Puuc Like other sites, which flourished in the Late Classic period (about 600 to 900 AD). It seems that their leaders also presided over the nearby settlements of Kabah, Sayil and Labná, and several sacbe (white roads of the Maya) connecting the sites. The area is known as Puuc Puuc or route, the surrounding hills. With a population of about 25,000 Uxmal was one of the largest cities in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Architecture

Puuc architecture has several predominant features, including buildings with a flat bottom section and upper richly decorated. Sculptures of the most common snakes, lattices and masks of the god Chac. Chac, the god of rain, greatly revered by the Maya at Uxmal because of the lack of natural water in the city. Despite the rivers of the Yucatan area a few years, most Mayan cities, including Chichén Itzá, used cenotes to access underground water, but no cenotes at Uxmal. Instead, it was necessary to collect rainwater in cisterns or Chultun built on the ground.

Pyramid of the Magician

Magician Pyramid legend says that when certain gong sounded in the city Uxmal would fall guy “was not born a woman.” One day, a young dwarf, who had been beaten a witch, sounded like a gong, which struck the fear of the sovereign, who responded by imposing a boy to be executed. The king has promised that the boy’s life could be saved if he could perform three impossible tasks, one of which was to build a giant pyramid in one night. Boy reached all the functions and became the new ruler.

Stevens and Catherwood

As part of the girl, Tourism Yucatan John Stevens tells the stories of human sacrifice occurred in the largest temple of the House of magician. When the victim is still alive, his heart torn priest of flint knife and throw the body (presumably moving) down the steep stairs.

The stairs and bedrooms

The Pyramid of the Magician is 117 feet (38 m) high. Exceptionally built on an elliptical base, this pyramid is the result of five superimposed temples. Parts of the first temple can be seen climbing the stairs of the West, the second and third can be accessed by stairs from the east, in an internal compartment of the second degree. The fourth temple is clearly visible from the west side, a giant Chac mask marks the entrance and Chac’s mouth is the door! Climb to the top of the stairs to the east to reach the fifth temple and see the entire site. Legend has it that the pyramid is the dwarf boy raised in a single night.

Nunnery Garden is a collection of four buildings around a courtyard. E ‘is called Casa de las Monjas (Nunnery) in Spain from 74 small rooms around the courtyard reminded quarters nuns’ monastery in Spain. Each of the four buildings has a unique ornate façade, and each is built on a different level. North Building is the oldest and largest. Here you can see many typical Puuc decorations, such as Chac masks arranged one another vertically, serpents and lattice. building to the east, and closer to the House of the Magician, is the best preserved, with a group of Chac masks over the central door and snakes over the doors on the left and right.

Governor’s Palace is considered by many experts as the best example of architecture Puuc exist. Governor’s Palace built on an artificial platform, and is believed to be one of the last buildings constructed on site (about 987 AD). The structure is a typical part of the lowlands, and richly carved upper. Among the descriptions are serpents, lattices and masks and also a central seated god-like figure in a long feather head-dress.

Turtle House is adjacent to the Governor’s Palace and at the same elevated platform. The Turtle House is the name of the frieze of turtles carved around the cornice. It was believed that turtles suffered with man at times of drought and also pray for rain Chac. The Great Pyramid was originally nine levels high and was partially restored. It seems that another temple would be superimposed on the existing structure and some demolition had taken place before the plans were suspended, leaving the pyramid in bad condition. You can still see the stone in Puuc fascade.

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