HOW AND FOR WHAT WAS THE CHICHEN ITZA PYRAMID BUILT? - HISTORY - 2025

How was the Chichen Itzá Pyramid built? For what? These are some of the questions that scholars and archaeologists often ask themselves about one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

The Chichen Itzá pyramid is located in the Yucatan peninsula, in Mexico. Approximately since 800 AD, this city was inhabited by the Mayan civilization and thanks to them, we can currently enjoy such beautiful architecture.

However, all these constructions are influenced by the Toltec culture. In fact, the name of the temple refers to a god belonging to Mayan mythology: Kukulcán.

In addition to this, the Chichen Itzá pyramid is a demonstration of the intelligence and knowledge that the Mayans possessed, both in agriculture and in mathematics, geometry, acoustics and astronomy.

For researchers it is always interesting to find any type of relationship in the birth of this structure, as well as its end and its cultural contribution. It is not for less, we are talking about possibly one of the most important pyramids in Mexico and all of Latin America.

Actually, Temple of Kukulcán is the official name of this structure and Chichen Itzá is the archaeological city where the pyramid is located. When colonizing these lands, the Spanish baptized and called the pyramid "El Castillo".

How was the Chichen Itzá pyramid built?

This is one of the questions that is most worth investigating and answering, because behind the walls of such a beautiful structure, there is a completely fascinating world.

The construction of the Temple of Kukulcán dates from the 12th century AD by the Itza Mayans. Although this pyramid is held in such high esteem, it has small dimensions, compared to other architectural structures of this type, such as the Egyptian pyramids.

The Temple of Kukulcán has a base of 55.3 meters and a height of around 30 meters, including the height of its temple.

It is considered that it is the interior of the Chichen Itzá pyramid that makes it stand out and be so different from the others.

Each of the details in its interior does not go unnoticed and it is thought that the Mayans left nothing to chance, as each element contains a different meaning and with a great significant load.

Geometric form

As its name indicates, the geometric shape of the structure is pyramidal and it has nine floors or levels.

It can be climbed through a main staircase that has a design of snake heads throughout its entire route and this is due to the fact that Kukulcán –the Mayan god who is worshiped with this pyramid– signifies or has a relationship with snakes.

However, some people think that this pyramid was created and built by the Mayans with the intention of also worshiping the sun god.

This is thought because each ladder included in the pyramid has a total of 91 steps or rungs.

If the number of steps located at the entrance of the temple is added to this amount, there is a total of 365 steps that could be taken and made a relationship with the 365 days contained in the year, time in which it is considered that the Earth revolves around the sun.

On the other hand, on certain days in the Chichen Itzá Pyramid you can observe phenomena and optical illusions.

Lights and shadows

On March 21 and 22 and September 21 and 22 (the date on which the equinoxes and solstices of each year occur), games between light and shadow are projected on the pyramid.

Thanks to this, visitors and tourists who visit the pyramid can easily find and visualize the figure of a snake that moves throughout the interior of the pyramid. This figure can reach up to 35 meters in height.

This effect occurs when shadows enter and are projected on the walls of the pyramid, divided into thirteen spaces of light and thirteen spaces of shadow in triangular shapes.

This number (thirteen) is not a coincidence either, because this is considered to be a perfect measure of the sun in the Mayan calendar.

Thanks to these phenomena, many people travel to the Yucatan peninsula every equinox and solstice, because observing this wonderful monument in all its splendor is one of the best experiences anyone wants to have.

What was the Chichen Itzá pyramid built for?

The Mayans were a culture full of signifiers and everything made by them was made with a meaning, so understanding why the Chichen Itzá pyramid was built is a great complete of all their history and such wonderful architecture.

It is considered that the main reason and motivation that the Mayans had to build this pyramid was to worship and worship the god Kukulcán, represented by the figure of a serpent, and all the decoration of the pyramid is attributed to this.

However, various studies have also shown that the influence of the construction of the Temple may have been given by the sun.

In addition to the 365 steps mentioned above and to which all the days contained in a year are attributed, each side of the temple has 52 boards: total and definitive number of the Toltec cycle.

Likewise, the pyramid is divided by stairs and in total, there are 18 sections that are thought to refer to the 18 months of the year (in the Mayan calendar).

On the other hand, at the top and at the entrance of the pyramid there are adorations and representations for the god of rain: Chac. They are symbolized by thick and straight masks made of frieze.

For the Mayan people, the pyramid of Chichen Itzá and the Temple of Kukulcán was a place where they resorted from the east of the region to find peace and seek knowledge.

References

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