Uxmal
Uxmal was located south of Merida in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. Uxmal had magic and spirit greater than Chichen Itza, but it did not get as much tourist as Chichen Itza receives. The terrain there is hilly and more interesting, where the terrain is in Chichen Itza is flat. It was on the only ridge hill on the Pennisula. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of Puuc architecture.
The word Uxmal means “thrice- built” in Mayan, which refers to the construction of its highest structure, the Pyramid of the Magician. The Maya would often rebuild new temples over the old ones. Uxmal was home to about 25,000 Maya. It was often called the Pyramid of the Dwarf because it was suppose built by a magician. It was 115 ft tall. They thought that the magician was born from an egg and raised by a witch. He ended up getting challenged by the ruler to build a huge pyramid in one day. After 1000 when invaders took over the peninsula, all the construction stopped. It began to be occupied by the League of Mayan. The site was abandoned shortly after the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.
Most buildings were constructed with a plain lower section and a richly decorated upper section. Their carvings were mainly serpants, lattice work and masks of the god Chac. Chac was the god of rain, and was very useful because Uxmal lacked natural water supply. Uxmal didn’t have cenotes, which was a way to get underground water. Instead they got chultunes which were built in the ground.
Uxmal means built three times in the Mayan language. The name is a mystery but the beauty of it isn’t. It is a World Heritage site, and it’s one of the best-restored and maintained archaeological sites in the Yucatán, and very magnificent. Their architecture is characterized by low horizontal palaces set around courtyards that were decorated with rich sculptural elements and details.
Uxmal was the greatest metropolitan and religious center in the Puuc hills. They communicated with Chichen Itza politically and economically. Had large areas of fertile soil scattered, where nearby residents grew their cash crops, such tobacco cacao and cotton. Others made stone, tools, pottery, and other basic household items.
http://www.yucatantoday.com/en/topics/uxmal http://www.mayan-ruins.org/el-pilar/
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