Mayapan

Mayapan is a Late Postclassic (1250-1450 CE) Maya archaeological site that sits 24 miles southeast of Merida in the state of Yucatan. At its height, Mayapan's territory extended for 1.5 square miles. It contains a fortified wall that surrounds 4,000 structures (excavations are ongoing). Mayapan was originally under the influence and reign of Chichen Itza, but when that city fell and was abandoned, Mayapan became the independent political capital of a Maya kingdom that ruled over northwestern Yucatan. Local inhabitants have always known about the ruins here and colonial accounts, such as Bishop Diego de Landa's "Relacion de las Cosas de Yucatan" included descriptions of Mayapan. According to legend, Mayapan was founded by the culture hero (to be distinguished from the Maya god) Kukulkan after the fall of Chichen. He fled Chichen with a group of his acolytes and founded the city of Mayapan. Once he left Mayapan, a leader from the Cocom family took power at Mayapan. Archaeological evidence demonstrates structures at Mayapan were burned around 1450 CE and the city was abandoned by the time of the arrival of the Spaniards. Many artifacts have been recovered at Mayapan; they include effigy incense burners with images similar to those found in Central Mexico, bells, rings, obsidian tools and jade (probably from Guatemala). These artifacts display Mayapan's connection to "international" trade and communication networks. It is a fascinating site that closely resembles (in a smaller scale) the site of Chichen Itza. I had a wonderful time here at Mayapan! 

The "main" attraction found in the ceremonial precinct of Mayapan is the miniature "copy" of El Castillo at Chichen Itza. As you can see in the first photo, the steps toward the bottom are still intact, but the higher up one goes, the more difficult it becomes to maintain balance. All of us climbed to the top of the pyramid-temple and enjoyed the view for awhile. It astounds me how flat Yucatan is; on top of these pyramids, one can see for miles! The terrain may be flat, but the jungle is dense and makes it difficult to see anything but the trees (because there is really nothing else to see!!). 

On the left side of the near-replica at Mayapan (of El Castillo from Chichen Itza), archaeologists have found a structure that contains murals. It is quite difficult to make out the shapes and symbols that were once clearly portrayed on these silent stone walls, but the bright and colorful pigments are still visible. Just looking at these photos again makes me excited about the knowledge that the Maya scribe-artists were once painting (and carving and writing) images, symbols, and hieroglyphs at these sites. 

After we finally climbed down from the top of the main pyramid at Mayapan, we made our way over to the building that closely resembles El Caracol at Chichen Itza, the so-called observatory with a circular structure. Set in front of this miniature Caracol, the sculpted visage of Chaak, the Maya Rain God, displays his importance and prestige, his connection to the observation of the sky. Our Maya Profe Ismael offered to take a few photos of me as I stood next to Chaak (with the long, protruding and curving nose) and in front of the observatory. Also a part of the architecture in this area of Mayapan, hieroglyphs (and other symbols) have been carved into the stones, but I had to look for a few minutes at several stones before I found them. No matter how many ancient Maya sites I go to, I am always fascinated by the ingenuity and complexity of these architectonic structures. 

I had waited almost three years to come here to Mayapan, and I finally got here. There were two people at Mayapan not with our group so we basically had the site all to ourselves. It fascinates me that so many tourists only go to places like Chichen Itza (with good reason!) but sites like Mayapan are just as compelling and distinct (well, maybe to someone like me they are!). Our visit was pretty much over when the dark clouds appeared and we definitely had to get back into our van. But our final stop before leaving Mayapan was this small, restored room on top of a shorter pyramid-temple that contains a mural painting. It was difficult to get good shots of it because the room is enclosed by stones. There is only a slight opening at the top of the structure through which I was able to snap a few pictures. Although a somewhat "lesser" site and "copy" of Chichen Itza, Mayapan delivered the goods and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.