Chichen Itza as not only a great city, but the head of an empire that once covered the region,is now an a UNESCO heritage site and Wonder of the World. Chichen was founded by the Maya civilization in the year 514 of our era by the priest LAKIN CHAN who was also called Itzamna,and has a history that is 1500 years old. Chichen Itza was the center of power in the region. Chichén-Itzá was not always Mayan, in fact, it had been abandoned and resettled several times. It has been the site for many pilgrimages over the years.

Chichen Itza reached its peak after the arrival of the Toltecs in the 10th century. The Toltecs were among one of the most influential groups to have settled this area. They had significant influence on architectural structures of this site as They were highly intellectual architects , as well as others.

Mayan ruins in central America, such as Chichen Itza, are remnants of cities that were abandoned long before Columbus reached the area; as a consequence of a civil war in 1221 led to the decline of the Mayan . Yet this culture has influenced many areas of architecture, art, and astronomy, that live on even in our modern world.The name Chichen Itza, is derived from the Mayan language, means “At the mouth of the well of Itza” The main belief is that people were thrown from the top as a sacrifice to make their god happy and the ones who could survive were the ones who were believed to be seers.The site contains many buildings and structures of stone in various stages , such as palaces, temples and markets.Chichen Itza has many elaborate structures too, the most impressive being “El Castillo”, the Great Ball Court, Temple of the Warriors and The Caracol. It also has three cenotes, or sinkholes, the most popular of which is the Cenote of Sacrifice. It has a very clear cultural mix and difference of the Mayan between 750 and 1200 A.D and non Mayan civilization.

Believe it or not:
Chichen Itza has been privately owned for the past 500 years. On March 29, 2010, Hans Jurgen Thies Barbachano, owner of the property ,agreed to sell his interest in Chichen Itza to the state of Yucatan for $220 million Mexican ($17.6 million US).

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El Castillo

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the Great Ball Court

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The Caracol

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Temple of the Warrior

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cenotes, or sinkholes

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