Among the Maya site in Yucatan Peninsula, Chichen Itza was the vastest. This is very accessible, only three hours away from the popular place of Playa del Carmen. It presents very stunning jungle and the great pyramid’s thrilling hiking track. But the main reason for the place’s popularity is the hundreds of ruin buildings it houses. Around thirty of these ruin sites have been reinstated but still hundreds are waiting to be completed and still several hundreds more are waiting to be discovered. This article presents some of the details in the history of Chichen Itza that can help you in deciding the itinerary of your trip to this place.
The founding date of this city was dated back in 850 AD. For around three centuries of existence the city was prosperous that made it one of the major contributory factors that shaped the history of Mexico. Till this day, people still engage with discussions concerning this city though not all information about Chichen Itza can be considered reliable. So to bring some light, here are some of the truths about this great city. The greatness of this city is a fact, in its time it was the largest and most multinational among the societies that thrived then. The rulers are Maya-speaking and came from central Mexico merely adjacent to the Mayan border. A number of temples with the influence of Puuc, Mixtecan and Toltec were built in this city during the height of its existence. There are also various pieces of art works and ceramics that can present the wide-ranging interaction among the Mesoamerican cultures at that time.
A great imperfection on the history of Chichen Itza is the account concerning the Toltec’s influence to the city. It is true that Toltec has had some influence to Chichen Itza which is evident in some of the traditions and customs of the city. However it cannot be said that the Toltec were able to overpower Chichen Itza. This is because Chichen Itza has its own share of cultural influence to the Toltec which can be seen on its capital city Tula. Thus the more probable reason why the two cities share similar culture can be the extensive interaction among the people through the broad barter system then. In addition, Chichen Itza culture has influences from various cities and not exclusively from Toltec. This on the other hand can indicate the greatness of Chichen Itza at that time to must have attracted a lot of people to go and live there thus creating a mixed culture. The shared culture between Chichen Itza and Toltec was also displayed by the God they believe in. For the Toltec they have Quetzalcoatl and for Chichen Itza they have Kulkulan however these two are one and the same feathered serpent God that is also known by other Mayan societies. The great connection among the people because of extensive trading system is again the possibly reason for this.
Itzaes leadership was overthrown during the end of the twelfth century when the rival tribe was able to overpower them. Itzaes are forced to move deeper into the jungles and the Lake of Peten Itza eventually became their final abode. This place is along the Tayasal, Guatamela which is now called Flores. Even in their new territory, Itzaes continued to practice some of their custom like human sacrifice. The Spanish priests and soldiers who mistakenly entered the tribe’s dwelling in their pursuit to conquer the place eventually became the human sacrifice of the Itzaes. More Mayans also run to this Itzae’s dwelling to seek protection against the harsh hand of the Spaniards. In 1697 though, the whole of Chichen Itza was strained to surrender but the place stayed inhabited, though not important, up until 1100 AD. It was even used by the Spanish conquistador, Francisco de Montejo as his headquarters during the time of its Yucatan Peninsula quest. The excavation of this place begun in nineteenth century that eventually put an end to this place. Currently, this ruin was completely re-established to serve as a museum.
Roger Morel
Roger is a most experienced travel tour organizer & tour guide-chaperone. Pickup and daily transportation to and from the city of Cancun as well as regional centers of Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carman & Mexican Riviera resorts can be easily , conveniently and reliably arranged. As well the services of highly qualified and knowledgably Mayan Chichen Itza tour guides from a large staff can be arranged – either or both in fluent American English or Spanish languages
Roger es un organizador de viajes turísticos con más experiencia y guía turístico-acompañante. Recogida y transporte diario desde y hacia la ciudad de Cancún, así como los centros regionales de Puerto Morelos y Playa del Carman y centros turísticos de la Riviera Mexicana puede ser fácil, cómoda y dispuestos de forma fiable. Además de los servicios de personal altamente cualificado y con conocimiento maya Chichén Itzá guías turísticos de un gran equipo se puede arreglar – o ambas en un fluido Inglés Americano o los idiomas español
