Uxmal "the thrice built city"
Pronounced "oosh-MAHL", Uxmal is a world heritage site and one of my favourite Mayan archaeological sites.
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| Pyramid of the Magician |
The main area of the ruins covers about 150 acres. You should allow yourself at least three hours for even a brief walk throughout the ruins, more like half a day if you want to tour it indepth with or without a guide. The entrance fee is 188 MXP and the tourist centre at the entrance has a restaurant and numerous gift shops. **HINT: Normally you would expect souvenirs in a place like this to be extremely expensive but we have actually found most of the souvenirs here to be some of the lowest prices around!
The history of Uxmal states that it was the capital of a regional state that developed around 850 AD, but the area was lived in as far back as 800 BC. At its peak, it's thought that the population was about 25,000 and it was one of the largest cities in the Yucatan Peninsula. But after about 1000 AD all major construction ceased at Uxmal, and the site was abandoned around the time the Spanish arrived. No Spanish town was built here and Uxmal was soon after largely abandoned.
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| Quadrangle of the Nuns |
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| The Great Temple/Pyramid (30m high) |
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| Jaguar Throne in front of Governors Palace |
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| Pigeon Loft Complex |
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| Pyramid of the Magician (seen from Governors Palace) |
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