Chichén Itzá

Mayan:

Chi (mouth) Chen (well) Itza (of the witch water)

At its peak between 800 and 1200 A.D. it was the centre of political, religious and military power in Yucatán, if not all of South-eastern Meso-America. They had relatively easy access to critical water supplies from the various caves and Cenotes of the region. Chichén Itzá has been widely studied, excavated and restored more than any of the other Mayan cities. Yet its history is still clouded in mystery and there are many contradicting theories and legends. It is clear that a large Mayan community thrived here between around 700AD and 900AD, and built most of the structures in the southern area. However, the main buildings in the central area, including the Pyramid of Kukulkán, the Temple of the Warriors and the Ball Court, are Toltec in design and influence.

 

In its architecture one can observe a gradual change in style, starting with the Puuc style, also shared with Uxmal and other sites on the Peninsula and culminating with the Mayan Toltec style, due to the architectural similarities with Tula, capital of the Ancient Toltecs, and with other sites in Central Mexico, such as Oaxaca and the Gulf Coast.

The city is divided into two principal areas: