Foto: The Pyramid of Kukulcán is a step pyramid in Chichén Itzá (bron: Andrea Marangoni)
Mexico - El Castillo, or the Pyramid of Kukulcán, is a step pyramid located in Chichén Itzá in the state of Yucatán on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. This pyramid is one of the most famous structures in Mexico and was built by the Maya in the 9th century. El Castillo served as a temple for the god Kukulcán (known to the Aztecs as Quetzalcoatl). It is a step pyramid with staircases on all four sides and a temple platform at the top. Three of the staircases have 91 steps, while the fourth has 92. In total, there are 365 steps, equal to the number of days in a year. The pyramid is 24 meters high, or 30 meters including the temple. Like many Mesoamerican pyramids, El Castillo was built on top of an older pyramid. Archaeologists have uncovered an opening to this older pyramid, allowing visitors to explore the interior. Inside the pyramid is the throne of Kukulcán, carved from stone and jade. The temple is world-famous for a phenomenon that occurs twice a year, at the spring and autumn equinoxes. On these days, the shadows cast along the stairs resemble crawling snakes. This is a reference to Kukulcán, whose name means ‘feathered serpent.’ It is possible that the order to build the pyramid was given by Kukulcán himself—that is, by Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, the Toltec ruler who is believed to have later been worshipped as the god Kukulcán. The pyramid was partially restored under the direction of the American Mayanist Sylvanus G. Morley in the early 20th century.
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