Uxmal 
How to get there
By bus from Mérida about 1.5 hours or from Campeche; by car from Mérida 80km/50mi on the MEX 261, from Campeche 152km/94mi on the MEX 261.
The famous Maya site of Uxmal is situated on a plain covered with thick scrub 80km/50mi south of Mérida in the north-west of the Yucatán Peninsula. Although in terms of surface area it is not one of the largest excavation sites in Mexico, Uxmal, with its preponderance of classical Maya-Puuc architecture, lays claim to being one of the most unified and beautiful pre-Columbian sites in the whole country.
By bus from Mérida about 1.5 hours or from Campeche; by car from Mérida 80km/50mi on the MEX 261, from Campeche 152km/94mi on the MEX 261.
The famous Maya site of Uxmal is situated on a plain covered with thick scrub 80km/50mi south of Mérida in the north-west of the Yucatán Peninsula. Although in terms of surface area it is not one of the largest excavation sites in Mexico, Uxmal, with its preponderance of classical Maya-Puuc architecture, lays claim to being one of the most unified and beautiful pre-Columbian sites in the whole country.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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In 1996 Uxmal was declared by UNESCO a world cultural heritage site.
History
It is thought that Uxmal (Maya: "thrice built") was founded by a tribe which had wandered northwards from the area of Petén (in present-day Guatemala) during the 6th c. ad, which falls in the Maya Classic period. The existence of an earlier settlement, possibly in the pre-Classic period, can not be ruled out. The most brilliant architectural period in Uxmal occurred in the 9th and 10th c. Although the Indian chronicles assert that the Xiú, a highland tribe, founded Uxmal around the end of the millennium, the zenith of the settlement's development was by this time already over. It is more likely that the Xiú only settled in or around the deserted settlement of Uxmal in the 13th or 14th c. and, after the destruction of Mayapán in the middle of the 15th c., moved on to Maní, which was their last bulwark against the advance of the invading Spanish.
Fray Alonso Ponce was the first Spaniard to write about Uxmal, which he visited in 1586. In 1836 Jean Frédéric de Waldeck carried out explorations in Uxmal and in 1841 John L. Stephens and Frederick Catherwood spent some time in the ruined town. The first systematic excavations were undertaken by Frans Blom in 1929. He was followed by Silvanus Morley from the Carnegie Institute in 1941, José Erosa Peniche, and later a whole series of Mexican research initiatives which were conducted by Jorge Acosta, César Saenz and Rubén Maldonado Cárdenas at the end of the 1970s. Today the work is being continued by Alfredo Barrera Rubio and Tomás Gallareta Negr'on.
The ruins
In contrast to Chichén Itzá there is an almost complete absence of Mexican (Toltec) stylistic elements in the architecture in Uxmal, with the result that in Uxmal the Classic Maya architecture in the Puuc style (so named after the chain of hills in the north-west of Yucatán; ad 700-1000) was preserved. This style is characterised by thin limestone cladding in a square or lattice-style pattern on top of smooth walls, a device that replaces the stucco decorations of the Maya Classic period. This ornamentation, which is used to decorate almost exclusively the upper part of a building, is supplemented with panels of Chac masks (the rain god) with long curved noses and snakes with stiff bodies. The picture is completed by rounded stone columns in the entrances and covered columns in long rows.
That part of the Maya town which has been uncovered covers an area of 700 3 800 m (2298 3 2625 ft). As with many other pre-Hispanic sites only a tiny part of the original site has so far been excavated. Uxmal was not, as in the case of other towns in Yucatán, laid out around one or more "cenotes" (underground water deposits), as this type of natural water pool does not exist in this area. The people used to manage with "aguadas" and "chultunes", places where the earth had caved in and then become sealed, or artificially created cisterns, in which rain water was collected. This lack of ground water enabled the rain god Chac to assume his pre-eminent position, evidence of which is provided by the decorations on the buildings.
History
It is thought that Uxmal (Maya: "thrice built") was founded by a tribe which had wandered northwards from the area of Petén (in present-day Guatemala) during the 6th c. ad, which falls in the Maya Classic period. The existence of an earlier settlement, possibly in the pre-Classic period, can not be ruled out. The most brilliant architectural period in Uxmal occurred in the 9th and 10th c. Although the Indian chronicles assert that the Xiú, a highland tribe, founded Uxmal around the end of the millennium, the zenith of the settlement's development was by this time already over. It is more likely that the Xiú only settled in or around the deserted settlement of Uxmal in the 13th or 14th c. and, after the destruction of Mayapán in the middle of the 15th c., moved on to Maní, which was their last bulwark against the advance of the invading Spanish.
Fray Alonso Ponce was the first Spaniard to write about Uxmal, which he visited in 1586. In 1836 Jean Frédéric de Waldeck carried out explorations in Uxmal and in 1841 John L. Stephens and Frederick Catherwood spent some time in the ruined town. The first systematic excavations were undertaken by Frans Blom in 1929. He was followed by Silvanus Morley from the Carnegie Institute in 1941, José Erosa Peniche, and later a whole series of Mexican research initiatives which were conducted by Jorge Acosta, César Saenz and Rubén Maldonado Cárdenas at the end of the 1970s. Today the work is being continued by Alfredo Barrera Rubio and Tomás Gallareta Negr'on.
The ruins
In contrast to Chichén Itzá there is an almost complete absence of Mexican (Toltec) stylistic elements in the architecture in Uxmal, with the result that in Uxmal the Classic Maya architecture in the Puuc style (so named after the chain of hills in the north-west of Yucatán; ad 700-1000) was preserved. This style is characterised by thin limestone cladding in a square or lattice-style pattern on top of smooth walls, a device that replaces the stucco decorations of the Maya Classic period. This ornamentation, which is used to decorate almost exclusively the upper part of a building, is supplemented with panels of Chac masks (the rain god) with long curved noses and snakes with stiff bodies. The picture is completed by rounded stone columns in the entrances and covered columns in long rows.
That part of the Maya town which has been uncovered covers an area of 700 3 800 m (2298 3 2625 ft). As with many other pre-Hispanic sites only a tiny part of the original site has so far been excavated. Uxmal was not, as in the case of other towns in Yucatán, laid out around one or more "cenotes" (underground water deposits), as this type of natural water pool does not exist in this area. The people used to manage with "aguadas" and "chultunes", places where the earth had caved in and then become sealed, or artificially created cisterns, in which rain water was collected. This lack of ground water enabled the rain god Chac to assume his pre-eminent position, evidence of which is provided by the decorations on the buildings.
Related Attractions
Ball Court
To the south of the Nuns' Quadrangle is the ball court which measures 31 3 10 m (102 3 33 ft). The two mortised stone rings bear the calendar date ad 649.
Casa de las Tortugas
To the south of the ball court is the House of the Turtles (Casa de las Tortugas; ad 800-900). Measuring almost 7 m (23 ft) high, 29 m (95 ft) long and 11 m (36 ft) wide it is one of the most symmetrically proportioned buildings in Uxmal. Three entrances lead from the east side through the unadorned basement into the interior of the house. The frieze running above the central ledge consists of a row of pillars standing close to one another. The building gets its name from the stylised turtles which decorate the upper ledge.
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Museum
Among the exhibits displayed in the museum at the entrance to the site are four stone heads of the rain-god Chac, panels with hieroglyphics, a phallic sculpture and a stone turtle.
Nuns' Quadrangle
Directly to the north-west of the Pyramid of the Soothsayer stands the magnificent Nuns' Quadrangle (Cuadrángulo de las Monjas; ad 900-1000) which was given its name by the Spanish because of the large number of "cells" which the building possesses. The four long buildings, which enclose the 64 3 46 m (210 3 151 ft) trapeziform inner quadrangle, stand on terraces of varying heights and were erected at different times.
Nuns' Quadrangle - East Building
The third oldest structure is the east building with its five entrances. The ledge consists of an ornamental serpent, its heads looking out on the north side. The frieze is quite stark in its conception and consists principally of latticework. On top there are trapeziums in which owls' heads are inserted.
Nuns' Quadrangle - North Building
Opposite the south building, and standing on a platform almost 7 m (23 ft) high, is the oldest and most important building of the Nuns' Quadrangle, the north building, which is almost 100 m (328 ft) in length. The 30 m (98 ft) wide stairway is flanked by two small temples. The left one (to the west) is called the Venus Temple, because a motive in the frieze has been connected with the planet Venus. The temple rests on four columns which form a hall. It is the only building in Uxmal which has such columns. The north building comprises 26 chambers and eleven entrances on to the inner quadrangle. As is usual with buildings in the Puuc style the basement level has no ornamentation. Over the ledge there are four "mask" towers, each with four Chac masks placed above one another. Next to them there are pictures of thatched houses and reliefs of monkeys and snakes.
Nuns' Quadrangle - South Building
The inner quadrangle is entered by the large arched entrance in the south building, which is the second oldest building on the site. The arch lies on an axis with the ball court which is situated in front of the quadrangle and is largely in ruins. There are eight rooms both to the right and left of the central walkway, of which one half face outwards, while the other half face north into the inner quadrangle. The frieze over the doors has sculptures of Maya huts which stand out above panels of latticework.
Nuns' Quadrangle - West Building
The newest section, the west building, has seven entrances. Its frieze is considered to be the most ornate in all Puuc architecture. Above the main entrance there is a throne with a baldachin, on which a seated figure, half man, half turtle, can be seen. The magnificent panel displays alternating sculptures of two Maya huts, rows of masks, geometrical ornaments and meandering coiled snakes. The last-named belong to the few Toltec stylistic elements to be found in Uxmal and were only added as an afterthought. Each of the edges of the building have three masks of the rain god Chac placed one above another.
Platform of the Stelae
Not far from the Temple of the Cemetery is the Platform of the Stelae (Plataforma de las Estelas). This is where originally 16 stelae and 15 altars stood, of which only a few in poor condition have survived.
Pyramid of the Old Woman
One of the oldest remains in Uxmal is probably the Pyramid of the Old Woman (Pirámide de la Vieja; c. ad 670-770), which lies to the south-east of the South Group and still awaits excavation. From the top of this pyramid it is possible to take excellent photographs of the Governor's Palace.
Sound and Light Show
Every evening in the Nuns' Quadrangle a spectacular son et lumière show is held, in which various places are lit up to the accompaniment of drum and flute music, while a speaker recounts the history of Uxmal. The 45 min. long performance is given at 7 p.m. in Spanish and 9 p.m. in English.
Hours
April 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
| Close | 21:00 | 21:00 | 21:00 | 21:00 | 21:00 | 21:00 | 21:00 |
November 1 to March 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 |
| Close | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
South Group
The buildings to the south and north of the Dovecot, the South Group (Grupo Sur) and the Quadrangle (Cuadrángulo), which have not yet been restored, have a similar ground-plan to the Dovecot.
Temple I
On the west side at the base of the pyramid it is possible to see the foundations of Temple I, the oldest of the buildings. A date chiselled into a door lintel reveals the building's inception to have been ad 569. The façade, richly decorated mainly with masks of Chac, the Maya rain god, also has the famous sculpture known as the "Queen of Uxmal". This figure, which depicts a tattooed priest's head caught in the jaws of a snake, is now to be found in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
Temple II
Temple II (Templo Interior Oriente), which has a central interior supported by pillars, is reached through an opening in the upper middle part of the east steps. Temple III (Templo Interior Poniente) is not visible from the outside. It adjoins the rear part of Temple II and consists of a small shrine and an antechamber. The steps on the west side, which have a gradient of 60°, do not possess a balustrade in the traditional sense. The parapet is set back and formed by stylised Chac masks which frame the steps.
Temple IV
From Temple III steps lead to Temple IV (Templo Chenes), the entrance to which is formed by the open jaws of a stylised mask. In contrast to the Puuc style which is elsewhere the norm in Uxmal, this temple is conceived in the pure Chenes style, as evidenced by the entrance. The façade of this cube-shaped building is completely covered with Chac masks and lattice-style ornamentation.
Temple V
Temple V, also called the House of the Soothsayer, belongs to the last wave of building which took place in Uxmal (about ad 1000). It can be reached either directly from the steps on the east side or by two narrow lateral flights of steps situated along the west side of the Templo Chenes (Temple IV). The rectangular building appears to date from the late 9th c. and to be a smaller-scale reproduction of the governor's palace. Part of the faáade of the temple, which consists of three interior rooms, is decorated with lattice-style ornamentation.
From the summit of the Pyramid of the Soothsayer there is a marvellous view of the other buildings on the site and the countryside surrounding Uxmal.
From the summit of the Pyramid of the Soothsayer there is a marvellous view of the other buildings on the site and the countryside surrounding Uxmal.
Temple of the Phalluses
From the Pyramid of the Old Woman a path leads to the remains of some buildings, 400 m (1314 ft) away, which have been given the name Temple of the Phalluses (Templo de los Falos). There is a row of stone sculptures in the shape of phalluses, which were probably used as fountains.
Uxmal Surroundings
