Chichén Itzá
Title
Chichén Itzá
Publisher
Lawrence Technological University
Date Created
January 31, 2018
Alternative Title or Name
El Castillo
Temple of Kukulkan
Creator2
Aluzzo, Adrienne (photographer)
Work Type
Single Built Works
Date
c. 1000
Work Location
Mexico (nation)
Chichén Itzá (deserted settlement)
Style/Period
Late Classic
Subject
stepped pyramids
Description
View of El Castillo at Chichen Itza, Mexico. "Typical of Mayan pyramids, El Castillo serves as a monumental representation of the Mayan calendar. The structure is made up of nine levels which represent the nine levels of the ‘afterlife’. Each of the four sides consists of a series of terraces which total 18 – the number of months in the Mayan year. Each side has a staircase which slants at a perfect 45-degree angle. Each staircase has 91 steps, which combined, and including the top platform, totals 365 – one for each day of the year ... The temple on top of the platform features walls that continue the pyramid’s slanted angle before transitioning to vertical. Vertical stone shafts similar to those found in Hindu architecture are found above the frieze, surrounded by bas-relief carvings of animals and fruits. The apertures to the pyramid temple are divided using twin circular columns which are carved as serpents,"--Designing Buildings Wiki.
Material/Medium
stone (worked rock)
limestone
Measurements
75 feet tall
Reproduction Type
jpeg
Copyright Statement
©2013 Lawrence Technological University. These images may be used for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes without the explicit permission of LTU.
ID Number
2017MX-080
- Date Added
- January 17, 2018
- Collection
- LTU Digital Images
- Item Type
- VRA Core
- Tags
- Mayan, pyramids
- Citation
- “Chichén Itzá,” LTU Digital Images, accessed May 4, 2024, https://ltuimagecollection.omeka.net/items/show/17467.