What are 5 interesting facts about Chichen Itza?
- This famous Mayan site may not be entirely Mayan.
- Chichen Itza gets its name from a cenote nearby.
- The main pyramid nests multiple smaller pyramids inside it.
- Monuments of Chichen Itza were astronomically aligned.
- The Serpent God, Kukulkan descends on the pyramid twice every year.
What is interesting about Chichen Itza?
At its peak, Chichen Itza was the most populous city in the entire Yucatan Peninsula. Even today, its ruins reflect a great civilization filled with architectural marvels and ancient secrets. Chichen Itza is also home to several cenotes (natural pits of groundwater), including the Xtoloc Cenote or “Sacred Cenote”.
How long was Chichen Itza abandoned?
about a hundred years
The area was then largely abandoned for about a hundred years (no one knows reason ), to be resettled around 900 AD again. Shortly before 1000 AD, it was invaded by a people from the north ( the Toltecs ). The Toltecs had settled near modern-day Mexico City at Tula, around 900 AD under the rule of a king Topiltzin.
How would you describe Chichen Itza?
Chichén Itzá, ruined ancient Maya city occupying an area of 4 square miles (10 square km) in south-central Yucatán state, Mexico. It is thought to have been a religious, military, political, and commercial centre that at its peak would have been home to 35,000 people.
How did Chichen Itza get its name?
The name Chichen Itza is a Mayan language term for “at the mouth of the well of the Itza.” The Itza were an ethnic group of Mayans who had risen to power in the northern part of the Yucatan peninsula, where the city is located.
What do you need to know about Chichen Itza?
Chichen Itza Facts for Kids Chichen Itza is an ancient site located in Yucatán State, Mexico, in Central America. The site has been listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can find out more about UNESCO in our Facts About Cairo Citadel.
When did the city of Chichen Itza fall?
El Castillo (the Temple of Kukulkan) is the famous pyramid which dominates the site of Chichen Itza and it actually sits on another much older temple. 4. Believed by archaeologists to have been a powerful economic city around 600 AD, the fall of Chichen Itza is thought to have been approximately 1000 AD.
How many ballcourts are there in Chichen Itza?
And in fact, the temple is named after the Maya feathered serpent god, Kukulkan. Would you believe it, there are actually 13 ballcourts in Chichen Itza!
How big is the Chichen Itza sports field?
Chichen Itza. This is the largest known ancient sports field in Central America, at 545 feet in length and 225 feet in width. Each end has a raised temple area. The sounds in the ballcourt are remarkable: a whisper from one end can be clearly heard at the other.