A Visit To UXMAL

This UNESCO designated World Heritage Site is, in my opinion, the most interesting and spectacular of the Mayan sites on the Yucatan. This may only be because there are far fewer tourists around than at Chichen Itza and the feeling of being part of the history is very strong here. Uxmal was one of the last city states to rise and flourished until its demise in about 1000 AD. No one knows why it faded, but it may be as simple as the fact that it outgrew itself. Water, always a factor, became so scarce that the Maya had to abandon the area for greener pastures elsewhere. Five different stages of construction have been discovered and as you walk around the huge site, these stages become obvious. Pictured below are some of the more important buildings.

The Pyramid of the Magician welcomes you to the site. Notice its unique oval shape.

Get an idea of the height of the Pyramid

Another view--from the rear

Notice the serpents heads on the edge of the building. Throughout the site there are carvings of serpents along the walls. We noticed in South East Asia that serpents figured largely in the sites we visited.

Typical Mayan arch, a common feature of Mayan architecture.

The Nunnery Quadrangle (named by the Spanish explorers) is made up of many small rooms. Historians differ on its use. Some think it was a military academy while others thought it was an earthly paradise where sacrificial victims would spend their final days in debauchery. Built around 850 AD

This is the same building in the night in which a sound and light show takes place

There is only this side remaining of the quadrangle of the doves (also named by the Spanish)

The Great Pyramid---we even climbed this one

Bye Bye. We loved this site.

Next trip-----Campeche