Chichén Itzá was the most important city in Mayan culture during the late Classic and early Postclassic periods, between 900 to 1300 A.D. During the early Classic period, it was the capital of a wide region, when the Puuc style buildings were built. With the arrival of the Itzáes, by the end of that period, a new style was created, which mixed Mayan traditions with the contributions of the newcomers. This was the second and largest peak of the site, which concluded with the arrival of the Mayapán princes, between 1185 and 1204 A.D.

Fairly well preserved, archaeologists can’t agree on whether it was these Mayans who influenced Tula, the Toltec city near Mexico City, which they have many similarities with, or if the myth was true about the Toltec king Quetzalcóatl’s exile (Kukulcán) at the start of Chichén Itza´s peak period.

Built inland, with a monumental core of five square kilometers, and a wide area of housing and places of secondary importance, 20% of the site has been excavated to date. The name of the city means “At the Mouth of the Well of the Itzá”, in reference to the wells or cenotes that supplied water to the area and, which in all probability, were the reason for its settlement.

The Sacred Cenote, located at the bottom of a sacbé (stucco coated Mayan road), was the point where the priests and Mayan people journeyed in pilgrimage to throw offerings, generally valuable objects, to the god Chaac, lord of the rain, and where there were also human sacrifices. It was excavated at the beginning of the 20th century, under the initiative of Edward Herbert Thompson, an American consul with a doubtful memory. A large quantity of objects were recovered, including jade, gold, ceramic and bone, which have been used to document Mayan society.

Chichén Itzá’s architecture is quite innovative in comparison to classic Mayan cities. Its great columns and pilasters, built with superimposed stone blocks that are often carved, fill the buildings both inside and out, especially in the Thousand Columns building, which probably served as a market.

The most important and famous building in Chichén Itzá is the Temple of Kukulcán, a Mayan representation of the god Quetzalcóatl. Known as “The Castle”, it is 24 meters high, built over a 55.5 meter wide platform, with 4 ascending stairways, representing the cardinal points. The number of steps is equivalent to the 365 days of the year.