Chichén Itzá

Chichén Itzá lies in the municipality of Tinúm in Yucatán, Mexico, and was one of the most important cities of the Maya world. Occupation began in the Classic period, but its peak came in the Late Classic and Terminal Classic, roughly 600 to 1000 AD, followed by a Postclassic phase in which the city's influence declined before it was largely abandoned around 1200 AD. The site name is usually translated as at the mouth of the well of the Itzá, referring to its cenotes. The best-known monument is El Castillo, the Temple of Kukulkán, a stepped pyramid of about 30 metres whose four stairways have 91 steps each. Its alignment produces a serpent-like shadow along the northern balustrade near the spring and autumn equinoxes. Nearby are the Great Ball Court, the largest known in Mesoamerica at roughly 150 metres long, with carved reliefs of players and sacrifice; the Temple of the Warriors with its colonnades and chacmool figure; the Group of the Thousand Columns; and El Caracol, a round building commonly interpreted as an astronomical observatory. The Sacred Cenote, a large natural sinkhole to the north, received offerings of jade, gold and human remains, which were recovered by dredging from the early 20th century. The older southern part of the site, with the Osario and Casa Colorada, shows Puuc-influenced Maya architecture, while the northern group displays strong central Mexican elements. The site is an open-air zone interpreted through signage and a visitor centre rather than a chronological museum. Restoration was carried out in several campaigns, notably the Carnegie Institution work of the 1920s to 1940s and later INAH projects, and climbing the pyramids has been prohibited for conservation reasons. Chichén Itzá was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 and named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. The monuments are in good condition, though weathering and visitor pressure remain management concerns.