Chichen Itza was founded around the 6th Century. It was formed by the Mayan people who at the time occupied the Yucatan Peninsula. The name is two-part, drawn from its access to water in the arid region chi meaning mouth, and Chen meaning well. It is located in the region where the Itza tribe of the Maya occupied. The architecture is presumed to have been a commercial, political, and military center. Further, it is thought to have had religious functions within the complex of the Itza and the Mayan people.
The temples in Chichen Itza were designed to be used for rituals and as calendars. One of the outstanding pyramids in Chichen Itza is El Castillo. The complex was constructed with nine levels which represented the nine afterlives of the Mayan people. The precision with which the building was built further implies the religious intention of the architecture.
The Chichen Itza has four sides with terraces that add up to eighteen, which is the number of months in the Mayan year. The building has 91 steps which total 365 including the top. Moreover, the Cenote, a limestone well that was formed when limestone collapsed exposing the water underneath was used for human sacrifice to the rain god. The individuals were thrown into the well alongside other precious ornaments.
There are various aspects of this architecture that interest me. The precision with which it was created was accurate and meticulous, putting into account elements such as the sun’s rays among others. Furthermore, the designs used were quite advanced for the period in which it was built highlighting the high quality of expertise used at the time.