Temple of Kukulcán, Chichen Itza (8th – 12th Century CE)
Chichen Itza was one of the great Mayan cities of the Postclassical era (950 – 1511). At the heart of the city, near its sporting arena and observatory, is the Temple of Kukulcán, a large, nine-stepped pyramid dedicated to the feathered serpent god. On each side of the pyramid, a 91-step, very steep staircase brings visitors from the ground to the temple at the top.
Unlike the Egyptian pyramids, the Kukulcán temple was never meant for entrance; there are no tunnels or burial chambers. It only needed to loft priests toward the skies. The temple was the exclusive domain of priests, elevated so they could perform sacred rituals closer to the heavens. Twice a year, according to legend, Kukulcán comes down from the heavens. The god then blesses the thousands of people who gather to see him, and heads down to the underworld (Xibalba).
