Ushmal

Uxmal

Uxmal, the mysterious remains of a once flourishing Mayan city, is one of Mexico’s most beautiful sights. The archaeological artifact is lost in the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Puuc area, which means “low hill country.” In these areas, rain doesn’t fall for six months at a time, and the Maya accumulated and stored rainwater in reservoirs they carved into the rocks. Maya settlements were formed around the reservoirs, called chultuns. Ushmal was also built next to a chultun.

Ushmal is distinguished from other Mayan settlements by its unique stone facades decorated with intricate patterns. Since 1969, Ushmal has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Video: Ushmal

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The Pyramid of the Wizard is the main decoration and the most impressive building of Ushmal. This imposing structure, which is a truncated four-sided pyramid with rounded corners, has another equally intriguing name – the House of the Dwarf. According to an ancient legend, a dwarf, the son of a sorceress, decided to surpass the omnipotent ruler of the city and built the pyramid in one night. Scientists, paying tribute to the beauty of the legend, this version is not shared, as excavations clearly indicate that the pyramid was built in five stages, from VI to X century. At each stage the temple was erected, over the previous or blocking it. In total there are 5 temples in the body of the pyramid.

Governor’s Palace, the residence of the Shiu dynasty rulers of Ushmal, is a beautiful building, one of the greatest monuments of Puuk architecture. A platform twelve meters high serves as the base of the palace. The facade, instructed by relief mosaics, stretches for 100 meters. The main protagonist of the relief is the god Chak, and there are more than a hundred masks depicting him.

The Great Pyramid is a structure of regular geometric shape, rising to a height of more than 30 meters. At the top of the pyramid leads well-preserved stairs, it is allowed to climb. Not everyone dares, but those who made it, awaits an unforgettable reward – a stunning view of the ancient city, lost in the lush jungle against the blue sky.

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The Temple of Phalluses traditionally excites tourists. Fifteen stone phalluses up to half a meter high appear before visitors in all their glory.

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