El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

El Castillo (Spanish pronunciation: [el kas'tiʎo], Spanish for "the castle"), also known as the Temple of Kukulcan (or sometimes Kukulkan), is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the center of the Chichen Itza. Temple is dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is easily the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. The pyramid rises 24 meters above the plaza, plus an additional 6 meters for the temple on top. The base of the pyramid is 55.3 meters on each side. El Castillo represents the Snake Mountain, a mystic place in Maya folklore where creation first occurred. Snake Mountain is a design practice adopted in Teotihuican as well as the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. At Chichen Itza the design is brought to its full artistic maturity. The Maya were great mathematicians, inventing the concept of “zero” long before western civilizations. They were also great astronomers, and El Castillo is the perfect marriage of these two sciences. The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform, equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge. On the corners, the staircases have railings with carved feathered serpents, the open-jawed head at the foot and the rattle held high at the top. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth. During restoration of El Castillo in the late 1920s and early 1930s, archaeologists discovered it had been built upon an earlier temple. Researchers estimated that this construction dates to the 11th century AD. Today a small doorway under the northern staircase leads to a small stairway into a temple within the pyramid. In this inner temple a Chac Mool statue and a jaguar throne were found. Visitors are not allowed to go inside however. As of January 2006, it is also no longer allowed to climb El Castillo.

Temple of the Warriors

Temple of the Warriors is a spectacular structure comprised of a series of impressive columns, spacious patios and halls. Built by Toltec conquerors in 950 AD, the building is similar to that of a main structure in the Toltec’s home city of Tula. The temple is made with four platforms; 200 round and square columns on the south and west sides. Like many of the pyramids and other buildings in the Mayan world, the Temple of the Warriors shows evidence of being built over a preexisting structure. The building spans 40 meters wide. The square columns are carved with images of Toltec warriors; you still see some traces of the paint. The columns held a roof likely made of palm and grass

Temple of the Warriors

Temple of the Warriors is a spectacular structure comprised of a series of impressive columns, spacious patios and halls. Built by Toltec conquerors in 950 AD, the building is similar to that of a main structure in the Toltec’s home city of Tula. The temple is made with four platforms; 200 round and square columns on the south and west sides. Like many of the pyramids and other buildings in the Mayan world, the Temple of the Warriors shows evidence of being built over a preexisting structure. The building spans 40 meters wide. The square columns are carved with images of Toltec warriors; you still see some traces of the paint. The columns held a roof likely made of palm and grass

The Plaza of a Thousand Columns

The Plaza of a Thousand Columns is an interesting eclectic group of buildings surrounding a broad plaza. It is believed to have been used for civic as well as religious purposes. Located to the south of the Temple of Warriors, the repetitive columns of that temple continue southward forming the western flank of the Thousand Columns Plaza.

The Plaza of a Thousand Columns

The Plaza of a Thousand Columns is an interesting eclectic group of buildings surrounding a broad plaza. It is believed to have been used for civic as well as religious purposes. Located to the south of the Temple of Warriors, the repetitive columns of that temple continue southward forming the western flank of the Thousand Columns Plaza.

The Plaza of a Thousand Columns

The Plaza of a Thousand Columns is an interesting eclectic group of buildings surrounding a broad plaza. It is believed to have been used for civic as well as religious purposes. Located to the south of the Temple of Warriors, the repetitive columns of that temple continue southward forming the western flank of the Thousand Columns Plaza.

Great Ball Court

The Mayans were great sportsmen and build huge ballcourts to play all their games. The Chichén Itza Ball Court is by far the largest field in Mesoamerica. Measuring 168 by 79 meters the playing field is 2.2 times the size of an American Football field. The parallel walls are each 95 meters long and 8 meters high. The inverted hoops placed in the center of the walls are carved with into decorative feathers. There are incredible panels of ball players along the interior walls. The court is acoustically perfect. If you talk to the northern wall for example, you can hear it clearly at the southern wall. The sound waves are unaffected by wind direction or time of day and also night.

Great Ball Court

The Mayans were great sportsmen and build huge ballcourts to play all their games. The Chichén Itza Ball Court is by far the largest field in Mesoamerica. Measuring 168 by 79 meters the playing field is 2.2 times the size of an American Football field. The parallel walls are each 95 meters long and 8 meters high. The inverted hoops placed in the center of the walls are carved with into decorative feathers. There are incredible panels of ball players along the interior walls. The court is acoustically perfect. If you talk to the northern wall for example, you can hear it clearly at the southern wall. The sound waves are unaffected by wind direction or time of day and also night.