The Mayan civilization has been one of the most important ethnic groups in Mesoamerica, this culture created imposing buildings which were closely linked to their beliefs and connection with the supreme. Through this article we will meet the Mayan pyramids, which are found throughout the Mesoamerican territory.
The Mayan Pyramids
The Mayan pyramids were built by an extinct ethnic civilization that primarily inhabited southern Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and El Salvador. These buildings were founded almost 3.000 years ago, and are perhaps the greatest tourist attractions in Mexico and Central America; Two types of pyramids were built in them: one for sacrificial rituals and the second for sacred ceremonies. Many Mayan pyramids also rose above the jungle, to serve as landmarks for the population.
The first type of pyramid had a temple at the top, and the priests had to climb it to make sacrifices to the gods; the stairs leading up the sides of these pyramids were steep, but not too steep for the priests to climb. The most important religious ceremonies took place at the top of these pyramids.
The second archetype was a sacred pyramid founded for a god, they were forbidden to climb them and be transited by humans; There were also steps on the sides of these pyramids, but they were often too steep to climb. These pyramids were sometimes built with secret doors, tunnels and traps
Next, we will detail the best known pyramids of this culture according to the countries where they are found, they are:
The Mayan Pyramids in Mexico
The Mesoamerican culture has established its largest population center in Mexico, making it the country with the largest number of colonies of the Mayan civilization in the world. Therefore, it is the place where the most important Mayan pyramids are located, among them we have:
NailI can
Chichén-Itzá is the most transcendental archaeological site of the Riviera Maya, the works abandoned for centuries have been issued by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and it belongs to one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. The place is located on the Yucatan Peninsula, two hours from Cancun and about 3 hours from Playa del Carmen.
The Temple of the Warriors, the Observatory, the Sacred Cenote, the Dance Hall are some of the most notable temples, although there is no doubt that the Temple of Kukulcán is the one that attracts the most attention. The architecture of this building was designed to project lights and remains in different places, already predetermined by the Mayan calendar. At each spring and fall sunrise and sunset, the corner of the pyramid casts the shadow of a serpent (Kukulkan).
Chichén-Itzá was an ancient city whose foundation date is still unknown. However, it is known that this was a mystical space for the natives, in fact, today this city is still considered a sacred site for the natives of the region, as well as a destination for travelers.
Nohoch Mul
The pyramid of Nohoch Mul is not the most famous building of the Mayan civilization, since the popularity goes to the temple of Chichen-Itzá; however, this can boast the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan peninsula, it is located in the complex of abandoned Mayan cities of Cobá. After climbing its 120 steps that are not suitable for those who suffer from vertigo, we climb 42 meters above the jungle.
Cobá was an important Mayan ceremonial center belonging to the classic and post-classic periods; climbing this pyramid from above you will be able to visualize: a green cover of exuberant vegetation as far as the eye can see, a nearby lake and the steep stairs that we will now have to descend. A rope down the center of the "traversable" side of this pyramid temple will aid daring climbers. This complex is located between Tulum and Chichen-Itzá, 41 km from Tulum, making a detour along the road that connects them.
Uxmal
It is also known as the Pyramid of the Great Chillán or the Magician, it is an ancient Mayan city of the classic period; It is located in the municipality of Santa Elena in the state of Yucatan. Currently it is one of the most significant archaeological sites of the Mayan culture, it is located in the so-called Puuc area and is the most representative city of this architectural style. Its buildings stand out for their size and decoration among them, as well as among other cities in the region, there are built roads called sacbes.
Its buildings are generally in the Puuc style, with smooth and low walls in which highly decorated strips are divided based on representations of typical Mayan huts, which are represented by small columns and trapezoidal figures (thatched roofs), tied snakes and in many cases forms of the two-headed rain god Chaac, with his large nose symbolizing storms and feathered serpents with open jaws emerging from human beings themselves.
The constructions take advantage of the relief of the land to reach elevation and acquire very large volumes, including the Pyramid of the Magician with five levels and the Governor's Palace that dominates a space of more than 1.200 m².
Palenque Archaeological Zone
Palenque is an ancient city whose origin dates back to 226 BC. C. The current archaeological area of Palenque covers 2.4 km2 of extension, which would represent only 10% of the total extension of the city of origin, the rest would be covered by the jungle.
The star era of Palenque was in the seventh century, one of the most striking temples is the Temple of the Inscriptions of Palenque, classified in the list of monuments that represent the universe. Although Kukulkan is a temple linked to the sun, an essential element of the Mayan culture; the temple of palenque inscriptions is linked to the universe, the natives with these monuments wanted to represent hills or mountains, elements that had a meaning close to the origin of the food fruit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjYWRvubA1U
This ancestral place of Palenque is located in the state of Chiapas, this idyllic site has also been proclaimed a World Heritage Site in 1978.
The Mayan Pyramids in Guatemala
Guatemala has been recognized for having one of the largest Mayan sites, among the cities and temples created by this ethnic group we can find the following:
Tikal
Tikal is the most touristic of the Mayan cities that can be explored during a trip to Guatemala, it includes 576 km2 of forest that surrounds the extraordinary religious site where ceremonies and rituals were performed. It is the largest explored territory in America and is hidden in the jungle, which are surely the most fascinating remains of the ancient Mayan civilization; Such is the extension of ancient Tikal and the density of the forest that covers it that it took 13 years to discover only 16 km2 of structures.
This complex remained hidden for centuries, vacated by the Mayans more than 1.000 years ago. However, a myth kept the existence of this Mayan city alive, which was transmitted among the indigenous peoples until it became a reality in 1848, when it entered the history of archeology as one of the cities of this largest ethnic group in history.
El Mirador
In the Petén you can visit one of the most isolated ancient Mayan sites. Just 7 kilometers from the border with Mexico, to explore and get to know this complex, your journey is not easy, to get to the place there are only 3 options: you can arrive by helicopter or from the town of Carmelita on a walking tour of around 2 days; There is also the possibility of making the trip on horseback, which can take around 9 hours.
This archaeological complex consists of two pyramids that are the most notable structures in this place; one of them, "El Tigre" has 18 floors and reaches a height of 60 meters. Next to it is "La Danta", another great pyramid built on a base that gives it greater height, in total this structure exceeds 100 meters from its base and each of its sides measures 300 meters; for an example of this, the volume of this pyramid is much greater than that of the pyramid of Cheops in Egypt.
Kyrgyzstan
Located to the south of Guatemala, Quiriguá is the Mayan city that developed north of the Motagua River, sharing its origins with Copán, the Mayan city of Honduras. In this archaeological site there are several structures, the strong points are the stelae. They are among the largest and most beautiful in the Mayan world, which has earned Quiriguá recognition as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In the tower of this enclosure, the stelae can be seen in each of the squares of the ancient city; Among the identified structures are the ball court and the Acropolis, with a structure in which several buildings can be seen. It is worth stopping for a few minutes at the entrance of the complex. There is a large model that allows you to get an idea of what this Mayan city was like, understand how it was built, and locate the structures discovered.
The Pyramids in Honduras
Passing through Honduras involves an almost necessary pause to admire the Mayan culture, because the Mayans remained in this country for a long time. In short, the Mayans founded a city: Oxwitik, or as it is called today as Copán. The Vestiges of Copán, the archaeological complex that houses one of the most extraordinary pyramids of Mayan architecture and the jewel in the crown of Honduras, is also a great excuse to delve into this culture.
Copan
The Mayans of Honduras established Copán, an ancestral place declared a World Heritage Site in 1980, this ethnic group experienced its greatest magnificence in this precise place between the 20.000th and 250th centuries, it is believed that the population that inhabited this complex was around more than XNUMX people in an area of XNUMX square kilometers. Anyone who wants to get to know this ancient place is recommended to start their tour in the morning; not only to enjoy the place alone but also to avoid the suffocating heat of this area.
One of the most impressive constructions of the Copán ruins is the Acropolis, where there is also one of the essential Mayan pyramids: the pyramid of temple 16. The Acropolis is located in the central zone of the archaeological site and was the royal area; more specifically temple 16, is the highest area of the Acropolis and is dedicated to the founder of the K'inich Yax K'uk 'Mo' dynasty.
An interesting fact that will make you visualize these monuments with different eyes, and in general any representation of the Mayan vestiges, is that their stones and patterns were nuanced with very radiant tones from red to green or blue.
The Pyramids in El Salvador
The Mayan archaeological complexes of El Salvador cannot be compared with the great cities that were established in neighboring countries; However, in this country the Mayan ethnic group built pyramids that are just as interesting and with a power of charm for those who visit them, among them we have:
Jewel of Cerén
Joya de Cerén is located in the department of La Libertad, and was found by chance in 1976. It has been known as "Pompeii of Central America" since 600 AD; This settlement was the victim of a volcanic expulsion. It is one of the most significant archaeological territories in Mesoamerica, since through the exploration of this place it was possible to verify what the simple life of this agricultural village was like, and it has also been declared a World Heritage Site since 1993.
The excursion to this complex is made up of three excavation zones where ten different structures are visible, such as bedrooms, a kitchen area where containers containing food remains, clay dishes were found; also limited warehouses and farmland with wooden fences. In addition, you can see the structure where religious acts, rites and consultations with the shaman or the head of the community are supposed to take place, as well as the house of the people who enjoy authority in the city.
The Pyramids in Belize
The Mayans were present in Belize from 2000 BC; these lived mainly in the coastal swamps, the keys and benefited from the wealth of the mountains, celebrating their cults and rites inside the caves. Also, during that time, about a million Mayans existed in Belize, a figure that differs from the current 300.000 inhabitants. Likewise, they managed to develop their architecture in this territory, one of the pyramids built was:
El Caracol
It is located in the Cayo district, and getting there is already an adventure. There are different military checkpoints and the roads are gravel and dirt, nothing is paved; the archaeological site is very well preserved. The ruins have a 140 meter high pyramid and it is the largest archaeological site in Belize.
If you found this article about the Mayan Pyramids interesting, we invite you to enjoy this other one related to this culture: