What does Chichen Itza mean in English?

The Maya name: Chichen Itza means at the edge of the Itza's well. This derives from chi', meaning mouth or edge, and ch'e'en, meaning well. Itza is the name of an ethnic-lineage group that dominated the northern peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico prior to the Spanish Conquest.



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The ruins of Chichén Itzá are federal property, and the site's stewardship is maintained by Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History).

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13 Facts About Chichen Itza, One Of The 7 Wonders Of The World
  • 6 There Are Smaller Pyramids Within.
  • 7 It Isn't Entirely Mayan. ...
  • 8 It May Have Been Used For Sacrifices. ...
  • 9 It Is Being Restored. ...
  • 10 It Was Built Near Sinkholes. ...
  • 11 It's Built With Diverse Materials. ...
  • 12 It Was Used As An Observatory. ...
  • 13 It Was Discovered Twice. ...


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In the ancient Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza sits a pyramid called Kukulcan, also known as El Castillo. Archaeologists have long known that this mysterious structure hides a second pyramid within its walls, but new technology has unearthed something strange: a third pyramid inside the second.

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One of the most interesting recent discoveries about Chichen is related to an essential aspect of Mayan life: water! In Chichen Itza, the cenotes are the only source of fresh water. These underground rivers are pure crystal water, a product of filtration through the limestone subsoil.

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In the 1930s, however, a group of excavators began exploring and discovered that another pyramid-temple was nestled within the larger pyramid. Further excavations revealed that it had nine platforms, a single stairway, and a temple containing human remains, a jade-studded jaguar throne, and a so-called Chac Mool.

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Barbachano still owns the 87-year-old award-winning hotel, the first ever built anywhere within an archaeological site, but the family finally sold Chichén Itzá to the provincial government last year for $17.8 million.

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