Uxmal

Thrice-Built

The name Uxmal means 'thrice-built' in Mayan, referring to the construction of its highest structure, the Pyramid of the Magician. The Maya would periodically build a new temple over an existing one in a cycle of 52 years, and in this case five stages of construction have actually been found.

 

Uxmal was one of the largest cities of the Yucatán peninsula, and at its peak it was home to about 25,000 Mayans. Like other Puuc sites, it flourished in the Late Classic period (around 600-900 AD). Indications are that its rulers also presided over the nearby settlements of Kabah, Labná and Sayil, and there are several sacbe (raised roads) connecting these sites. The area is known as the Ruta Puuc or Puuc route, from the nearby hills

 

Puuc architecture has several predominant features, most notably constructions with a plain lower section and a richly decorated upper section. Carvings most commonly found include serpents, lattice work and masks of the god Chaac.

 

Chaac was the god of rain, greatly revered by the Maya at Uxmal because of the lack of natural water supplies in the city. Although the Yucatán has no surface rivers, most Maya cities, including Chichén Itzá, used cenotes to access underground water, however there were no cenotes at Uxmal. Instead, it was necessary to collect water in chultunes or cisterns, built in the ground. The proximity of the Puuc hills did mean, however, that comparatively rich soil from the hilltop forests was washed down the slopes during rainstorms, making the area one of the most successful agricultural regions of the Yucatán.