Chichn Itz is deservedly one of the most famous Mayan cities. From the magnificent pyramid of El Castillo to the huge Great Ballcourt, its staggering size and amazing architecture are world-renowned and nearly unparalleled in the long history of the Mayan civilization. If you plan a visit to this remarkable site, you'll surely have a long list of buildings, sculptures, frescoes, temples, and courtyards to visit. However, even travelers who have made several visits to the site often overlook several rather diminutive features, which despite their size and unassuming nature are no less magnificent than the tallest pyramid.
One such location is the Casa Colorada, or Red House, named for the flakes of red paint that scientists discovered lying inside the structure. Known as Chichancob in the Nahuatl tongue, it is one of the most well-preserved buildings at Chichn Itz, and filled with magnificent carvings and hieroglyphs that tell of the city's kings and rulers dating back to to 869 AD.
The Chichancob consists of four rooms, including an antechamber and external ball court adjacent to the back wall. Each room has walls filled with intricately carved hieroglyphs. One of the most well-preserved of all Chichn Itz's structures, the Red House's panoply of carvings have been dated to as early as 869 AD, and appear to tell stories about the rulers and nobility of the city over the generations. The building was probably constructed specifically to house these glyphs, and today they stand as a perplexing but intriguing testament to the longevity of the Mayans, and indeed of Chichn Itz itself.
The Temple of the Three Lintels
Actually, though it's called a temple, this building's most likely purpose was as a house for the nobles or royalty of Chichn Itz. The "Three Lintels" name comes from the elaborately carved stones that sit above its three entrances, each of which contain finely carved hieroglyphs that are a contrast to the structure's otherwise unassuming appearance. Aside from a lattice-pattern engraved on the cornice, there is remarkably little ornamentation on any of the exterior walls, making it an unusually modest house for such lofty occupants.
Offerings seem to have been commonly made at the Temple of the Three Lintels, as various remains pointing to the famous Mayan fire fire rituals have been uncovered by archaeologists. Each of the upper corners contain Chac masks with long noses, thought to have been designed in tribute to the Mayan god of rain. These masks were a common feature of Mayan architecture, being featured on nearly every building at the Chichn Itz site.
Temple of the Bearded Man
Near to the Great Ballcourt, one of Chichn Itz's most famous and oft-visited sites, is a smaller structure that many pass by, although few would if they knew a few facts about its past. The North Temple sits at one end of the ballcourt, and it sometimes called the Temple of the Bearded Man from one of the carved figures it contains. The walls of the temple are covered in bas relief artwork and sculpture; although it's not clear this was intentional, one example in particular, that of a human male, has a glyph under his chin which bears a striking resemblance to a stylized beard, giving the temple its slightly more colorful second appellation.
One such location is the Casa Colorada, or Red House, named for the flakes of red paint that scientists discovered lying inside the structure. Known as Chichancob in the Nahuatl tongue, it is one of the most well-preserved buildings at Chichn Itz, and filled with magnificent carvings and hieroglyphs that tell of the city's kings and rulers dating back to to 869 AD.
The Chichancob consists of four rooms, including an antechamber and external ball court adjacent to the back wall. Each room has walls filled with intricately carved hieroglyphs. One of the most well-preserved of all Chichn Itz's structures, the Red House's panoply of carvings have been dated to as early as 869 AD, and appear to tell stories about the rulers and nobility of the city over the generations. The building was probably constructed specifically to house these glyphs, and today they stand as a perplexing but intriguing testament to the longevity of the Mayans, and indeed of Chichn Itz itself.
The Temple of the Three Lintels
Actually, though it's called a temple, this building's most likely purpose was as a house for the nobles or royalty of Chichn Itz. The "Three Lintels" name comes from the elaborately carved stones that sit above its three entrances, each of which contain finely carved hieroglyphs that are a contrast to the structure's otherwise unassuming appearance. Aside from a lattice-pattern engraved on the cornice, there is remarkably little ornamentation on any of the exterior walls, making it an unusually modest house for such lofty occupants.
Offerings seem to have been commonly made at the Temple of the Three Lintels, as various remains pointing to the famous Mayan fire fire rituals have been uncovered by archaeologists. Each of the upper corners contain Chac masks with long noses, thought to have been designed in tribute to the Mayan god of rain. These masks were a common feature of Mayan architecture, being featured on nearly every building at the Chichn Itz site.
Temple of the Bearded Man
Near to the Great Ballcourt, one of Chichn Itz's most famous and oft-visited sites, is a smaller structure that many pass by, although few would if they knew a few facts about its past. The North Temple sits at one end of the ballcourt, and it sometimes called the Temple of the Bearded Man from one of the carved figures it contains. The walls of the temple are covered in bas relief artwork and sculpture; although it's not clear this was intentional, one example in particular, that of a human male, has a glyph under his chin which bears a striking resemblance to a stylized beard, giving the temple its slightly more colorful second appellation.
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