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Tulum [Map] |
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Tulum was strategically built on a cliff over viewing the Caribbean Sea.
Tulum is surrounded by a huge
stone wall, Its height is irregular since it follows the contours of the
land and it is rectangular shaped with only three sides; that which faces
the sea was naturally protected. Without a doubt, the wall had a defensive
purpose although it also served to establish the limits of the "sacred"
area. It has five doorways or entrances: one facing west, two to the north
and two more to the south. From the inside,
This city was also known as Zama (dawn) because of being in one of the places were dawn first breaks in our country. The community was a commercial port with a privileged location; it was an active redistribution center for local and foreign products, some of which come from places as for away as Central America, the Pacific and Gulf coasts, and Central Mexico by sea, river and land routes. Everyday
life was intertwined with politics, magical religious rituals the arts, and
astronomical observations, especially pertaning to the planet Venus -the
morning and evening star-, the repetitive of Its rampart allowed it to control internal activities and, what's more. to protect its residents; it marked the difference between the elite class and the common people, who lived outside the great wall. Tulum was contemporary to Chichen Itza and Mayapan, and when the latter two states fell, it consolidated its position, paving the way for greatest period of expansion. Its decline began at the time Hispanic navigators arrived on its shores and islands from the on, a certain cultural cohesion was attained that has prevailed until the present time.
On this trading circuit, Tulum was and important coastal port that linked land and sea trade.
Templo de las Pinturas, This
building conserves most of the decorative elements of Tulum. It has two
levels, of which the lower level is comprised of two temples, one within the
other, were the decoration is concentrated.
An architectonic and pictorial aesthetics of its own, influenced by Chichen
Itza and Mayapan,
The features of Tulum's architecture are
similar to those of Chichen Itza and Mayapan, with the incorporation of
certain regional elements that characterize the East Coast style. The
structures are small and show little complexity, height, or quality. The
walls are covered with stucco and on the facades there were modeled
sculptures, as well as brightly colored paintings with a colorful finish and
strong contrasts.
Religious life and a pilgrimage to the sanctuary, a cultural expression
associated with economics, politics, and nature,
Mayan gods were present in one or
Tulum was a city dedicated to
the planet Venus, a deity with a dual nature; that of the morning and the
evening star. The descending god symbolized by the setting Sun is closely to
Venus, and so it can sold that the evening star was worshipped at Tulum;
thus, the image of this deity is found on the facade of some of the
buildings, and its, accesses are oriented to face the point where this
planet sets. Another important deity was Ek Chuah, the god of trade, to whom
tribute was paid in the course of commercial interchanges.
Platforms with stairways are quite common
in Tulum. The most important people of the zone built their houses of
perishable materials on them.
The main constructions found in Tulum are:
Tourism Facilities
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Tulum
is one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the 
one can climb the wall by using
the stairs specially built for this purpose.
A
secure sanctuary and trading port,
The Mayas participated in the commercial circuit that extended from Central
Mexico to Honduras, navigating along the coastlines, boys, coves, and
inlets, as well as rivers, lakes, and estuaries.
more
elements of nature. Some were manifest in the stars or in atmospheric
phenomena like rain; others in plants like the ceiba (cotton
silk tree) and animals like the jaguar. Each season of the year and each
daily activity, such as the harvest, were marked by a ritual dedicated to a
deity, aimed at making sure human labor would be rewarded with optimum
results.
Most
of the constructions in Tulum are organized along what are called "streets",
with buildings grouped on the sides, especially residential platforms, upon
which wood and thatch roofed houses were built, which have not survived due to the fragility of the
materials.
