Castle Map

Ruin

Uxmal

Mexico

Heritage status
part of UNESCO World Heritage Site · Cultural property under special protection
Location
Yucatán
Coordinates
20.35944°, -89.77139°
Links
UNESCO · OpenStreetMap · Wikimedia Commons
Open on the map →Official website ↗Wikipedia ↗
Uxmal in Mexico
Photo: Adrian Hernandez · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Description

Uxmal (Yucatec Maya: Óoxmáal [óˑʃmáˑl]) is an ancient Maya city of the classical period located in present-day Mexico. It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture, along with Palenque, Chichen Itza and Calakmul in Mexico, Caracol and Xunantunich in Belize, and Tikal in Guatemala. It is located in the Puuc region of the western Yucatán Peninsula, and is considered one of the Maya cities most representative of the region's dominant architectural style. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the nearby ruins of Kabah, Sayil and Labna.

Uxmal is located 62 km south of Mérida, capital of Yucatán state in Mexico. Its buildings are noted for their size and decoration. Ancient roads called sacbes connect the buildings, and also were built to other cities in the area such as Chichén Itzá in modern-day Mexico, Caracol and Xunantunich in modern-day Belize, and Tikal in modern-day Guatemala.

Its buildings are typical of the Puuc style, with smooth low walls that open on ornate friezes based on representations of typical Maya huts. These are represented by columns (representing the reeds used for the walls of the huts) and trapezoidal shapes (representing the thatched roofs). Entwined snakes and, in many cases two-headed snakes are used for masks of the rain god, Chaac; its big noses represent the rays of the storms. Feathered serpents with open fangs are shown leaving from the same human beings. Also seen in some cities are the influences of the Nahua peoples, who followed the cult of Quetzalcoatl and Tlaloc. These were integrated with the original elements of the Puuc tradition.

The buildings take advantage of the terrain to gain height and acquire important volumes, including the Pyramid of the Magician, with five levels, and the Governor's Palace, which covers an area of more than 1,200 m2 (12,917 sq ft).

Text adapted from “Uxmal” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

In the rankings

Uxmal ranks #117 of 9,902 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #3 of the 17 mapped in Mexico. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 18,480 times in the last 60 days, more than 97% of the atlas. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Mexico compares in the castle statistics.

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