Pyramid of Kukulcan at Chich'en Itza
Every equinox this Mayan pyramid puts on a spooky ancient light show
Category Wondrous Performances, Curious Places of Worship, Incredible Ruins
A two and a half hour bus ride from Cancun takes you away from the thumping parties of spring break and into the once thriving ancient capital of the Yucatán Mayans – Chich’en Itza . During the spring and autumn equinoxes thousands of tourist and locals pack in around the pyramid to recreate the parties of a thousand years ago - sans the cutting out of hearts - and to watch the “descent of Kukulcan”. A carnival atmosphere fills the surrounding meadow with sounds of drums, traditional music and cheering crowds.
According to legend, twice a year when the day and night are in balance, this pyramid dedicated to Kukulcan (or Questzalcoatal), the feathered serpent god, is visited by its namesake. On the equinox Kukulcan returns to earth to commune with his worshipers, provide blessing for a full harvest and good health before entering the sacred water, bathing in it, and continuing through it on his way to the underworld.
All legends aside, crafty and mathematically brilliant architecture combined with the natural rotation of the earth creates an amazing and somewhat eerie image of a giant snake crawling down the temple. For five hours an illusion of light and shadow creates seven triangles on the side of the staircase starting at the top and inching its way down until it connects the top platform with the giant stone head of the feathered serpent at the bottom. For forty-five minutes this impressive shadow stays in its entirety before slowing descending the pyramid and disappearing along with the crowd that gathered to see it.
The Pyramid of Kukulcan (also know as El Castillo, a name given by the Spanish Conquistadors) is the central pyramid of Chich’en Itza, it was built by the Toltecs – descendants of the Mayan – over a pre-existing Mayan temple between 800 and 900 AD. It is the biggest pyramid in Chich’en Itza; at its base 53.3 meters wide on all four side. It towers above the other monuments at 24 meters tall with a 6 meter temple on top of the highest platform.
The Mesoamerican fascination with, and knowledge of, math and astronomy shines when examining the details of its architecture. Each of the four sides has ninety-one steps ascending it, 364 steps total, with the temple topping the pyramid considered an addition step totaling 365, each step representing a day in the calendar. Additionally, the pyramid's nine stages, bisected by a staircase on each side, represent the eighteen months of the Mayan Calendar year. The pyramid was built to be a physical representation of the Mayan Calendar (the same calendar that predicts the end of the world in 2012), while its orientation, slightly North East, is believed to have been calculated in order to create the phenomenon know as the “Descent of Kukulcan”.
Spring Equinox: March 20, 2009-2011
Fall Equinox: September 22, 2009-2010, September 23, 2011
This phenomena is recreated nightly (artificially) during the Light and Sounds Show at 7pm in the winter and 8pm in the summer.
Chich'en Itza is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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- Hours Daily 8AM-5:30PM Winter and 8AM-6PM Summer; Light and Sound Show 7PM Winter and 8PM Summer
- Address Hwy 180 on the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun, Mexico
- Cost Admin:95 Pesos, Parking: 10 Pesos, Night Light & Sound Show: 30 Pesos, Guided: 500-600 Pesos, Audio Guide: 25 Pesos
- Chichen Itza: El Castillo, Pyramid of Kukulcan http://www.world-mysteries.com/chichen_kukulcan.htm
- Different World
- Equinox at Chichen Itza http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0kOyGZxKh4
- Ruggles, Clive L.N., Ancient Astronomy: an encyclopedia of cosmologies and myth
- Published by ABC-CLIO, 2005
- VISIT MEXICO: Chechen Itza http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Chichen_Itza
- Chichen Itza: Yucantan Today http://yucatantoday.com/en/topics/chichen-itza
From Cancun it is very easy to get a tourist bus to Chich'en Itza. Or drive west on Hwy 180. Ask your hotel for more specific directions due to constant change in Mexican roads and lack of detailed information available online. From Merida drive 74 miles East on Hwy 180.
Comments
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Anonymous
August 12, 2009
This is undoubtedly one of the wonders of Cancun and perhaps the world. Visitors to <a title="Cancun" href="http://www.olympus-tours.com"> Cancun</a> should not miss the unforgettable experience of feeling in the past of the mysterious Maya. The mathematical accuracy with which the pyramid was built many centuries ago, surprise us and at the same time tell us about the infinite human creativity.
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