Mayapan Ruins

Mayapan is one of the largest Maya sites on the north-west part of the Yucatan peninsula, about 24 miles southeast of the city of Merida. The site is surrounded by many cenotes, and by a fortified wall enclosed more than 4000 buildings.

Mayapan, which means Banner of the Mayas, is deemed as the last great Maya capital, dating back to the start of the Common Era and getting its golden age in the Postclassic period. It is believed that this city once had a population of 12,000 inhabitants. Kukulkan II of Chichen Itza founded Mayapan between 1263 and 1283 AD. After his death, a hostile Cocoom family seized power and used Mayapan as a base to conquer northern Yucatan. They prospered through wars using Tabascan soldiers and intermarrying with other powerful families. The Cocoom ruled for 250 years until 1441-1461 AD when an unknown Uxmal based family named Xiu protested and defeated the Cocoom.

Two main periods have been identified at Mayapan. The earliest corresponds to the Early Postclassic, when Mayapan was a small center perhaps under the influence of Chichen Itza. In the Late Postclassic, from AD 1250 to 1450 after the decline of Chichen Itza, Mayapan rose as the political capital of a Maya kingdom that governed over northern Yucatan.

Mayapan's ancient splendor is still evident in its great buildings. There is a strong effect played by Chichen Itza, as seen in its chief building, a smaller imitation of the Castillo of Kukulcan. The main square was surrounded by government, administrative and religious buildings, as well as the homes of the ruling class. These structures were built over foundations of rows of columns, with temples and oratories, an altar at the back and benches along the sides. Visitors can also see the buildings known as "Observatories" and little sanctuaries illustrative of the ancient cities.

The ruins of Mayapan are renowned for their colorful murals, original stucco work and Chichen Itza-like "sun temple." The site is an active site, with a far-reaching research program that was carried out from 2002 through 2004 where many figurines, pottery, weapons and other artifacts were found. A rare finding on the site was a group of small bells, the use of which is unknown.

The ruins have several well preserved carvings on the site. Lovely birds adorn one of the walls around the temples. An exciting part of the site includes several statues with the heads removed. The decorated murals which are still visible feature the style used in the manuscripts of the post classic period. The murals depict scenes of war and events related to the death cult, indication of the cultural links with races from the high plains of central Mexico.

The architecture at these ruins is patterned after the attractive buildings at Chichen Itza. The large temple at the left is "El Castillo de Kukulcán" and bears a striking similarity to El Castillo at Chichen Itza. This was documented by specialists Catherwood and Stevenson. El Castillo is sixty feet high and one hundred feet square at the base. It features four imposing staircases, each twenty-six feet wide that rise to a path within six feet of the top. These staircases are all in a pretty bad condition; the steps are almost entirely gone, and you can climb up by means of fallen stones. The summit was a simple stone platform, of approximately fifteen feet square. It had no structure upon it, nor are there any vestiges. Mayapan's observatory shares a striking resemblance to that of Chichen Itza's, although not as high off the ground. Demonstrating the decline of Post Classic Mayan civilization, Mayapan was a poorer copy of the Toltec-dominated Chichen-Itza architectural style.

Mayapan was the most important center of the Mayan civilization in the period before the Spanish conquest. This can be known from Mayan Literature and the first Spanish documentation of the region, which assures that it was the chief center of the Mayan civilization in the previous period to the arrival of the Hispanics. It remains uncertain if Mayapan really defeated Chichen-Itza, which continued to be populated even during Mayapan's dominance, but Mayapan itself was abandoned in the mid-15th century.

If you are planning to visit this place, getting to the wonderful Mayapan ruins is not difficult. Mayapan is located in the state of Yucatan, southeast of Merida on Highway 184. It is well marked and the road is in good conditions from Merida, past Mayapan all the way to Mayan Beach Garden. Mayapan is not a day trip from Mayan Beach Garden, but part of "the Mayan Loop", if you find yourself lucky to have the time to drive around the Yucatan Peninsula. If you are driving from Merida to the Costa Maya area, you will pass directly past Mayapan, so it is advisable to plan an hour to visit. Don’t miss the chance of visiting and exploring the ruins of this amazing site!

V.T.