The legendary Mayan city of Chichén Itzá, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 and a Wonder of the World in 2007, stood out as the cultural and political center of the ancient Mayan civilization and was one of the largest settlements in the north-central Yucatán Peninsula.
At its height, it was the most powerful city in the Yucatán Peninsula.
The Itzáes settled in Chichén Itzá in the 9th century AD. It is believed that they were Putun Mayas or Chontal Mayas. They forged a vast dominion with a unified culture centered on Chichén Itzá. Towards the end of the 10th century, the city was invaded by a predominantly warlike tribe: the Toltecs. This last invasion brought with it a new set of cultural elements, most notably the representation of the serpent god Kukulkan.
Around 1250 AD, the city was abandoned for many reasons that are not entirely clear. So great was the power of this city that centuries after its decline, it was still a site of pilgrimage and worship, and even around 1540 AD, Francisco de Montejo, founder of Mérida, considered building his capital there.
Chichén Itzá once covered 25 km2. The religious, cultural, and administrative center covered some 6 km2; a short distance from it, the elite lived in palace-like buildings, elaborately decorated and brightly painted. Around these, in green fields, lived between 50,000 and 100,000 people in palm-thatched palapas.
The Castle of Kukulkan, "The Feathered Serpent", measures 60 metres on each side at the base. It rises in nine decreasing bodies to a height of 24, thus reaching the table that supports the temple, and the latter raises its walls eight metres more. Each façade or front of the pyramid-shaped mass, boasts a wide staircase made up of 91 stone steps, a set that makes up 364 steps, and adding the land, or upper platform, 365. The stairs of the Castle, at ground level, are topped by colossal sculptural heads, in the shape of a snake.
During the sunrise on June 20, 21, and 22, the summer solstice occurs. This spectacular phenomenon causes light to illuminate only the north and east faces of the pyramid, while the south and west faces remain in shadow. In winter, the reverse occurs, meaning the illuminated part darkens and the dark part illuminates. This phenomenon occurs not at sunrise but at sunset from December 20 to 22.
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