ashenWhen you hear about Mayans, what thoughts are triggered in your mind? Was it the widely known “Mayan Calendar” that became a key feature of the 2012 movie? Or was it the Mexico city Mayan ruins that are admired and gazed in awe by tourists coming from all across the world? Whichever it is, the Mayans are a well known ethnicity that still thrives although scattered. In this post we will talk about the Mexico City Mayan Ruins which back then were massive constructions and marked milestones in human evolution. I think it’s appropriate to get to know who they are and to get to know the remains of the colossal and incredible structures they made.
A Brief Overview Of Mayans
Fun fact; The Mayans is a modern term used to name those people collectively. They never referred to themselves as Mayans back in the day. The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization, well known for its systems and theories of astronomy, calendar, mathematics and of course architecture which we will talk about in here. Their civilization was centered in and around the regions of modern day southeastern Mexico, Guatemala and Belize. Also they were extended to the western parts of El Salvador and Honduras. They worshipped many gods in accordance with every aspect of life such as wealth, death. And somehow that paved the way for their incredible development in astronomy and mathematics.
Much like most of the civilizations of the historic era, the Mayan livelihood was agriculture, farming crops such as Maize, Beans and Chili Peppers. They laid the first bricks of the architectural ruins that we are going to talk about today around 750 BC, and by 500 BC. These ruins are still surviving today proving the brilliance of the Mayan calculations and constructions. Today the Mayan culture still thrives in many communities of Mexico and has been carried forward dutifully. Just like many other ruins such as Devil’s Bridges, there are so many ruins in Mexico city just scattered all over and you probably are familiar with the names of Chichen Itza and Tulum. Therefore lets look at the mainstream and also proceed with the virtual tour of discovering the rest of these wonders.
List Of Mayan Ruins In Mexico City
Chichén Itzá
Probably the most notably famous Mayan city in Mexico and one of the new seven wonders of the world. It is located in Yucatan of the Yucatan Peninsula and back in the day this was a city of prosperity and fortune. The city possessed commercial hubs, religious structures and many other residences. You will not have a world history book without the image of Kukulkan Pyramid, the most popular monument of Chichen Itza.
The significance of this pyramidal structure is the 365 steps to represent each day of the year. The major tourist magnet of this site is the twice-annual equinox where the setting sun creates a shadow on the pyramid resembling a serpent. This happens during the Suns of Spring and Autumn. And it is a tribute to Kukulkan, the most important Mayan god.
Tulum
Next are the iconic coastal ruins of Tulum and the famous El Castillo ruin is the significance here. And it is placed on the top of a cliff overlooking the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. And as you can probably guess, this was a major port back in the day, primarily for trading. Naturally so, because of the access to both land and sea trade routes. It is also called Zama, which means the City of Dawn because it is situated facing the sunrise. It is only a few hours away from Chichen Itza.
Oh yeah, you can also take a dip in the gorgeous Caribbean Sea so make sure to take a bathing suit and maybe a snorkeling set. Tulum was in its peak from the 13th to the 15th century and served for many years. It was eventually abandoned because of the diseases brought by the Spanish migrants. Because the site is preserved well it is a pretty crowded tourist destination too , with more than two million annual visitors per month.
Coba Ruins
Although the Coba ruins aren’t as popular as Chichen Itza and Tulum, it is still historically important. It was unknown to the tourists because of the fact it was an offsite until 1973 given the surrounding jungle penetration was hard. It is situated about 43km west of Tulum and covers around 80 square miles. Archaeologists strongly believe Coba was one of the most important Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula. Nohoch Mul is the main pyramid here that connects every other ruin.
You can climb up until you reach the 120th step which is the peak. Then you will get a splendid view to feast your eyes on the surrounding jungle ruins. You can also visit the Conjunto Pinturas and Macanxoc structures after the Nohoch Mul. These are the other couple of famous spots apart from the central pyramid. The best way to get to Coba is from Riviera Maya through Tulum, using the Coba road located at the first intersection in Tulum.
Palenque
Welcome to a site declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Located in the state of Chiapas The Temple of Inscriptions is one of the most iconic Mexico city Mayan ruins. It is almost a nine hour drive from Cancun. It is a monument for the great Lord Pakal and contains his tomb. The significance of this site is its inscriptions that help the experts to understand the Mayan history. It gives records of over 180 years insight to the city’s history.
Pyramid of the Sun
Pyramid of the Sun in Ciudad Prehispánica de Teotihuacán is located 30 miles outside Mexico city. You are sure to be awe-inspired by these Aztec pyramids at Teotihuacan. This site broadens the history inspection because the artifacts found suggest that there were other cultures apart from the Mayan. Who they are is still not clarified. Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. are the two most notably famous pyramids of Teotihuacan. At present, you can experience the Citadel, Avenue of the Dead(yeah creepy) and of course the pyramids.
Nichos Pyramid
The Pyramid of Nichos in El Tajin, Veracruz is another great construction by the Aztecs who flourished here. This site is significant because it was one of the largest and most important cities of Mesoamerican era. The city was at its peak from the early 9th to the early 13th century. The architecture of the constructions are unique because of the carved reliefs on the columns and frieze. The heart of this city is the Pyramid of the Niches, which conveys the symbolic and astronomical importance of these buildings. You can reach there after about a four hour drive from Mexico city.
The Great Pyramid of Cholula
Also referred to as Tlachihualtepetl, the Great Pyramid of Cholula can be found after a two hour drive away from Mexico city. This is the largest man-made pyramid in the world, even towering the Pyramids of Egypt. It was constructed more than 20 centuries ago! It encapsulates the architectures of both Teotihuacan and El Tajin civilizations. There was a time when the pyramid wasn’t used for any sort of ceremonies and shrubs grew covering it. Then the Spanish arrived in Cholula in 1519 who failed to acknowledge the pyramid. As time passed the archaeologists uncovered and revealed it to the world. You should definitely explore this network of tunnels when you visit Mexico.
Templo Mayor
Translated as the The Greater Temple this was a crucial point of Aztec civilization. Actually it is a great Aztec ruin in Mexico city. Aztecs believed this was the center of the universe. During their time it was dedicated to the God of War(Huitzilopochtli) and God of Rain and Agriculture(Tláloc). Many sacrifices of captured war prisoners were made here in the name of these Gods. The temple was renovated and enlarged several times just like all other Tenochtitlán sacred buildings. The ruins of Templo Mayor are next to a Spaniard cathedral.
Ek Balam
Located in Yucatan, it is about two hours west of Cancun. The center of the site is the colossal El Torre pyramid . There are many other surrounding temples and palaces. The significance as usual lies in these walls where you can find works of art and calligraphy providing insight to the Mayan culture.
El Rey
Until now, pretty much every site we talked about possessed towering pyramids and large buildings. Well, it’s the opposite with El Rey which is one of the many Mayan ruins in Cancun. El Rey was at its peak between 250-600 AD. It is a temple complex, hence you can learn a great deal about the history of Mayan connections among cities. You can also visit the close by Museo Maya to learn more about this aspect of history.
Summary
So there you are! Those are our top picks for the Mexico city Mayan ruins. And if you ever visit Mexico, try to cover as many of these sites as possible, especially the Chichén Itzá. Although the rest of the globe is advancing in modern architecture, the Mayan descendants have managed to preserve these astonishing constructions for you to admire and ponder about their splendid architectural knowledge.
