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| UXMAL Mayan ruins: Archaeological park in Yucatan Mexico |
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Not too long ago Loco Gringo visited the Mayan Ruins of Uxmal, located south of Merida in the state of Yucatan. To us, Uxmal had a magic and spirit greater than Chichen Itza, (perhaps because it's farther away), however Uxmal does not get nearly the
volume of tourists that Chichen Itza recieves. The terrain there is hilly and more interesting, where
the terrain at Chichen Itza is flat. We stayed at Hacienda Uxmal, which is
quite nice with a good restaurant and an excellent location very close to the ruins.
Uxmal, like Chichen, has a light and sound show nightly. The show was
interesting but we found just being at the ruins at night to be the bigger thrill.
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The name Uxmal means 'thrice-built' in Mayan, referring to the construction of its highest structure, the
Pyramid of the Magician. The Maya would often build a new
temple over an existing one, and in this case five stages of
construction have actually been found. Uxmal was one of the largest
cities of the Yucatán peninsula, and at its height was home to about
25,000 Maya. Like the other Puuc sites, it flourished in the Late
Classic period (around 600-900AD). Indications are that its rulers
also presided over the nearby settlements in Kabah, Labná and Sayil,
and there are several sacbe's (white roads of the Maya) connecting the sites. The area is
known as the Ruta Puuc, or Puuc route, from the nearby hills. With a
population of about 25,000 Uxmal was one of the largest cities in the
Yucatán.
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Puuc architecture has several predominant features, most notably constructions with a plain lower section and
a richly decorated upper section. Carvings most commonly found
include serpents, lattice work and masks of the god Chac. Chac was
the god of rain, greatly revered by the Maya at Uxmal because of the
lack of natural water supplies in the city. Although the Yucatán has
few surface rivers, most Maya cities, including Chichén Itzá, used
cenotes to access underground water, however there were no cenotes
at Uxmal. Instead, it was necessary to collect water in
chultunes or cisterns, built in the ground.
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In "Incidents of Travel in the Yucatan" John
Stevens recounts stories of the human sacrifices performed at the highest
temple of the House of the Magician. With the victim still alive, the
priest would rip out the heart with a flint knife and throw the body
(allegedly still moving) down the steep steps.
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The Pyramid of the Magician legend held
that when a certain gong was sounded, the town of Uxmal would
fall to a boy "not born of woman". One day, a dwarf
boy, who had been raised from an egg by a witch, sounded
the gong which struck fear into the ruler, who responded by ordering the boy to be executed.
The ruler promised that the boy's life would be saved if he could perform three
impossible tasks, one of which was to build a giant pyramid in a single
night. The boy achieved all the tasks and became the new ruler.
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The Pyramid of the Magician stands 117 feet (38 m) high. Unusually built on an elliptical base, this
pyramid is the result of five superimposed temples. Parts of the
first temple can be seen when ascending the western staircase; the
second and third are accessed by the eastern staircase, in an inner
chamber at the second level. The fourth temple is clearly visible
from the west side, a giant Chac mask marks the entrance and Chac's
mouth is the door! Climb to the top of the east stairs to reach the
fifth temple and view the whole site. Legend has it that this is the
pyramid the dwarf boy raised in one night.
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The Nunnery Quadrangle is a collection of four buildings around a quadrangle. It was named Casa de las Monjas (The Nunnery) by the Spanish because the 74 small rooms around the courtyard reminded them of nuns' quarters in a Spanish convent. Each of the
four buildings has a unique ornate facade and each is built on a
different level. The northern building is the oldest and the grandest. Here can be
seen many typical Puuc embellishments, including Chac masks arranged one over
another vertically, serpents and lattice work. The building to the east,
and closest to the House of the Magician, is the best preserved, with a
stack of Chac masks over the central doorway, and serpents above the
doorways to the left and right.
The Palace of the Governor is regarded by many
experts as the best example of Puuc architecture in existence. The Palace
of the Governor stands on an artificial raised platform and is thought to
be one of the last constructed building on the site (around 987AD). The
structure has a typical plain lower section and a richly carved upper.
Amongst the depictions are serpents, lattices and masks and also a central
seated god-like figure with a long plumed head-dress.
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House of the Turtles is next to the Palace of the Governor and on the same raised platform. The House
of the Turtles is named for the frieze of turtles carved around its cornice.
It was believed that turtles suffered with man at times of drought and
would also pray to Chac for rain. The Great Pyramid was originally nine
levels high and has only been partially restored. It seems that another
temple was to be superimposed on the existing structure and some demolition
had taken place before the plans were halted, leaving the pyramid in
bad condition. You can still see Puuc-style stonework on its fascade.
You can visit Uxmal in the state of
Yucatan during your vacation. On Sundays there is no
admission charge at any of the ruin sites in the Yucatan
Peninsula. From the Caribbean Coast the drive is about 6 hours,
so an over night in Uxmal is best in order to fully enjoy the ruins
and the nightly "Light and Sound Show".
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To learn more about UXMAL please visit the links below  » LG Mayan ruins page
» Google results for: Uxmal
» LG lodging Yucatan/Merida
» Chichen Itza Mayan ruins
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