elaborate mask decorations at a palace at Kabah, one of the Ruta Puuc sites
Like in the Rio Beck area earlier, the Ruta Puuc is another area with a high concentration of Maya sites. ‘Puuc’ means hill in the local language, and this is indeed the only area in Yucatan that is a little more undulated, although not a great deal, certainly not in comparison to other regions of Mexico.
The most important archaeological site here is Uxmal, a large complex complete with pyramids and palaces. This is all Ruta Puuc style, from the Post-Classical period (600-1000 AD), architectonically different from the later styles that dominate, for instance, Chichen Iza. Puuc style is characterised by exuberant decorations – I call it the Art Nouveau of the Mayas -, and everywhere in Uxmal this is very obvious, from the many geometric motifs and the multiple masks of Chaac, the main God at the time, to the lovely turtles along the roof of the Casa de las Tortugas. If below is not enough, there are more photos here.
the main structure at Uxmal, a huge pyramid
of which the very tall base is elongated, unlike the sharp corners at so many other structures
in Uxmal, too, many of the temples are intricately decorated
or, in some instances, you have subtle decorations like this bird
the ball court at Uxmal, in front of the governor’s palace
the ball court being occupied by iguanas, these days
this is the house of the turtles, each of those top row decorations representing an individual turtle
like this one, only slightly damaged
also Uxmal: the Cougar throne, out in the open, probably a royal seat at the time
the only colour in this rather grey collection of buildings comes from birds
like the woodpecker, or – here – a hummingbird
one again the main pyramid, the one with the base, from the beginning, but now seen from much higher up
the Palace of the Masks at Kabah, an impressive structure on a platform
Uxmal is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, but because it is so much further away from the tourist centres of Cancun and Tulum, it is a lot less crowded than Chichen Iza; yet, there are still quite a few people around. This changes once we move on to the smaller, less important sites. We arrive at Kabah just when the only other visitors are leaving, and we have this fabulous site for ourselves, which does add an extra special dimension to the visit. Kabah is home to the Palace of the Masks, a building with some 260 masks of Chaac on one of its sides. An incredible sight, especially because here you are able to walk right up to the wall, which is not roped off like everything in Uxmal is. At the back of this building are two statues – one headless, and the other wearing a jaguar mask. Apparently quite unique in Mayan architecture, and most likely a later Tolmec influence. For Kabah, too, there are additional photos here.
one side of the palace, entirey covered with masks
and in more close-up, multiple masks of the god Chaac
two warriors, probably, a later Tolmec addition at the back of the Palace of the Masks
the great palace in Saayil, the next Ruta Puuc site
one again elaborately decorated with half-pillars and a mask
the look-out, another structure at Saayil
The next site along the Ruta Puuc is Sayil, which has a beautiful three-tiered Northern Palace, enormous, and once again extensively decorated. The theme here is pillars, some thick, and supporting, many others much thinner half-pillars, only added for the effect it creates on the façade of the palace. A little further is a ‘mirador’, a look-out point that was common on the sacbe’s, the roads that connected the various Maya cities. Further still is the rather disappointing Southern Palace, also with lots of pillars, but less well restored. The stele with the relief of the fertility god, with a rather outsized penis, is a saving grace for all the effort. A few more pictures can be found here.
and this is the fertility stele – obviously
the Labne palace in the late sunlight
and one the building’s corners, a human face inside the mouth of a snake
also decorated, with half-pillars and othe geometric patterns
the remains of the sacbe, a Maya road connecting the main trading centers, at Labne
and the arch of Labne, also very well preserved
The last place we visit is Labne, which has another huge palace, lavishly decorated and famous for its snake mouth with a human head inside. With 135 meters the palace here is even longer than the one in Sayil, but not as high. We also have a piece of the original sacbe remaining, leading to a much better preserved ‘mirador’, and to a beautifully decorated arch, the old entrance to the city. A few more photos here.
This is a great experience, on the one hand the fabulous and very large Uxmal site, and on the other three smaller sites with equally impressive buildings, which we had all for ourselves. Indiana Jones all over again.
the look-out in Labne, better preserved than the one in Saayil
