UXMAL MAYAN RUINS

Although the Uxmal Mayan ruins do not see as many visitors as other ruins, it is still a magnificent find.  The region is hilly and quite interesting.  When in Uxmal, you will find a number of good hotels and restaurants so you can actually stay close to the ruins.  You can visit the Uxmal Mayan ruins during the day or night but most people will tell you the nighttime visit is a much greater experience.

The name Uxmal translates to “thrice built”, which for the Mayan civilization was the reference to the construction of the highest structure, which was the Pyramid of the Magician.  Usually, Mayan people would build a new temple directly over an existing one.  Therefore, it is common to find five stages of construction.  The city of Uxmal is one of the largest in the Yucatan peninsula.  During its prime, approximately 25,000 Mayan lived there.  This particular city thrived during the Late Classic Period, from 600 to 900 AD.

From archeological findings and research, it is believed that the Mayan rulers presided over other close by settlements to include Kabah, Labna, and Sayil.  Connecting these various sites were sacbes, which are white roads.  When looking at the Uxmal Mayan ruins, you will notice number of predominant features.  For example, the lower levels are plain while the upper levels are elaborately decorated.  You will also find that most of the carvings within the ruins include masks of the various gods, latticework, and serpents.

One of the gods worshipped by the Mayan people was Chac, the god of rain.  Because there was no natural water supply in Uxmal, this god was the most important to survival.  In fact, this region of the Yucatan has few surface rivers so cenotes had to be used as a means of accessing underground water but again, there were no cenotes in Uxmal.  To collect water, cisterns or chultunes were built in the ground.

Many legends state that the Mayan people used humans for sacrifice, which were performed at the highest temple, the Temple of the Magician.  The human sacrifices were alive when the high priest would literally use a flint knife to remove the heart.  Once that act was performed, the body would be tossed down the steep steps of the temple.

Another legend of the Pyramid of the Magician is that on occasion, a particular gong was rung which time the town knew it would fall to a boy that was not born of a woman.  The story goes on to say a dwarf boy who was raised from an egg by a witch struck the gong, setting fear into the hearts of the ruler.  With this, the ruler ordered the boy to be killed.  The ruler went on to promise the boy’s life could be saved but only if he was able to perform three specific and impossible tasks. The most difficult task was to construct a giant pyramid in a single night.  However, the boy accomplished this impossible feat, thus becoming the new ruler.

This pyramid stands 117 feet tall but what makes it so unusual is that it is built on an elliptical base.  Because of this, you see five superimposed temples.  Various sections of the first temple are visible when going up the western staircase.  The second and third sections are reached from the eastern staircase at the second level through an inner chamber.  Then, the fourth section of the pyramid can be seen clearly from the west side.  Marking the entrance is a giant Chac mask with the mouth of the god being the opening.  Now, if you climb the east stairs, you will reach the final temple at which point the entire pyramid and grounds can be seen.

Another interesting aspect of the Uxmal Mayan ruins is the Nunnery Quadrangle, which is a group of four buildings that sit around a quadrangle.  The Spanish people named it Casa de las Monjas, or “The Nunnery”.  Included are 74 tiny rooms that are all situated around a courtyard.  The four buildings are built on a different level, each with a unique ornate façade.  The oldest and most spectacular of the buildings is the one that sits on the north side.  At this site, you will find wonderful Puuc embellishments such as Chac masks, which are arranged on top of each other in a vertical position.  The east building is located near the House of the Magician, which is also the building best preserved.

Next is the Palace of the Governor, which is said to be the best example of Puuc architecture known to man.  Standing on an artificial raised platform, experts believe this to be one of the last built buildings at the Uxmal Mayan ruins, probably sometime around 987 AD.  Again, you see the structure plain on the lower level and then rich and elaborate on the top level.  In addition to the common masks, latticework, and serpents, the Palace of the Governor is adorned with a seated god-like figure that is wearing a long, plumed headdress.

Finally, the Uxmal Mayan ruins features the House of the Turtles, which sits right next to the Palace of the Governor.  This too is on a raised platform and named after the frieze of turtles that were carved on the cornice.  Most exerts believe turtles suffered along with humans during time of drought, also offering prayers to Chac, the god of rain.  While the Great Pyramid originally had nine levels, only some have been restored.  Because some demolition had occurred and plans to finish the reconstruction stopped, we see the pyramid today in disrepair.