Time has preserved the best monuments of the ancient world for us to admire. When you stand before one of them, thoughts of mysteries and secrets come to mind. Who built it? How and why?
These kinds of questions arise one after another as you stand in front of El Castillo and enjoy its excellence.
El Castillo is a step pyramid in the center of the archeological site called Chichen Itza, Yucatán, Mexico. Chichen Itza (in Mayan meaning “At the mouth of the well Itza”) was once the capital city of the Mayan civilization.
El Castillo is often referred to as the Temple of Kukulkan. During the spring and fall equinox the shadow falls on the northern staircase and traces out a huge serpent, Kukulkan, sliding down from the top of the temple. This happens only twice a year. Lots of tourists visit this site on those days just to see this phenomenon.
In 1930, with the help of Mexican government financing, another temple was discovered below El Castillo. Inside this second temple a throne in the shape of a jaguar was found. The throne was painted red and covered with jade.
Not far away from El Castillo there are two natural sink holes that still remain one of the most popular attractions in Chichen Itza. The Mayan people used to sacrifice various objects and even human beings in one of them, called “Cenote Sagrado” (meaning “the sacred well”). Human remains and precious gems were found in this well during the excavations.
Tourists have a lot to explore in El Castillo. The room of the ball court has some interesting acoustic peculiarities. If you whisper a single word in one corner of the room, which is 545 feet long, it will be perfectly audible in the opposite corner.
If you decide to go to Chichen Itza, don’t rush, take time and explore the nature and the monuments around you. They reveal the culture of the ancient people that lived there thousands of years ago.
How can I describe this beauty with words? It’s impossible. When you see the pyramid with your own eyes, even then it looks unreal. El Castillo is one of the most important Mexico destinations and is definitely worth visiting.
Photo: © Celso Flores
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