 TigerLordResident pentaxianPremium,Mod
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3 edits | [CritEditN] Chichen Itza - UNESCO World Heritage Site
PENTAX K10D
12mm 1/2000th F4 ISO100
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El Castillo ("The Castle") is a pre-columbian structure found in the ancient Mayan city Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Situated in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Chichen Itza is the second most visited archeological site in the country.
El Castillo was a temple of religious importance to the Mayan nobility. It was built between the 9th and 12th century AD and served as a platform for religious rites and rituals. It is special because it intertwines three to four architectural styles (toltec, olmecs and aztec)
It became the 7th Wonder of the World after a controversial world vote was organized by the Swiss corporation New7Wonders Foundation.
Another smaller and nearly identical structure can be found inside El Castillo. Though tourists used to be able to climb it, Mexico closed all access in 2006 to help preserve the site.
#2. The Ball Game Field.
The Mayan nobility that lived within Chichen Itza (the regular people lived in huts outside the city's walls) would organize games between their own people and neighboring cities.
Each team was composed of 7 players. The game resembled field hockey, but the ball was closer than a volleyball in size, and weighted between 9lbs and 12 lbs. The objective: pass the ball through one of the two elevated hoops on either side of the field. The crowd would observe the games from the top of the side walls.
The victors gained honor and the nods of their Gods...
#3. The Loser's Wall
...the losers' figures were immortalized in sculpture form and ended up on the wall of a nearby building... right after their heads were chopped off.
#4 Chichen Itza Cenote
The cenote was used to sacrifice virgins as gifts to the Gods. The inhabitants considered the place sacred and were afraid of it. Though most of the bones found at the bottom were those of young boys and girls, several bones belonging to grown adults led anthropologists to believe the site was probably used to dispose of bodies to hide crimes, such as murders.
#5 The Temple of Warriors
Close to a thousand columns circle the temple. It was a place of meeting, training and briefing for the military.
#6 The Columns
There used to be a stone ceiling that ran over the columns. It was destroyed well before Chichen Itza was discovered.
About PP:
My goal was to capture the scenes as I was seeing them on that day, rather than paint an artistic point of view of the various site. There are very few occasions when I will rely on HDR to capture a scene. Architectural photography is one of those, in my opinion.
Thanks for looking! |
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 altermattPremium
join:2004-01-22
White Plains, NY | A terrific place, terrific photos. An instance where I think the heavy HDR suits the subject, moodwise! Thanks for posting these.
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The truth of a thing is the feel of it, not the think of it. -- Stanley Kubrick |
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zach3ZachPremium
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TigerLord,
I was there many years ago when one could climb up inside of El Castillo to the top of the other structure. I am 6'2" tall and weighed about 185 pounds at that point in my life and it would cause most to become very claustrophobic to say the least!! The Mexicans had strung a string of lights on 2 wires like temporary construction lights and that was it. If the lights had gone off for any reason you would have had a panic attack!! There was only one way up and one way down and two individuals passing were in very close contact in doing so. Not a trip for the faint of heart!!
Once you made the climb and arrived on the top there was a Iron Gate and thorough the Gate you could see a couple of statues of their Gods I assume.
Anyway thanks for the trip back in time!!
Zach |
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TigerLordResident pentaxianPremium,Mod
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| said by zach3:TigerLord,
I was there many years ago when one could climb up inside of El Castillo to the top of the other structure. I am 6'2" tall and weighed about 185 pounds at that point in my life and it would cause most to become very claustrophobic to say the least!! The Mexicans had strung a string of lights on 2 wires like temporary construction lights and that was it. If the lights had gone off for any reason you would have had a panic attack!! There was only one way up and one way down and two individuals passing were in very close contact in doing so. Not a trip for the faint of heart!!
Once you made the climb and arrived on the top there was a Iron Gate and thorough the Gate you could see a couple of statues of their Gods I assume.
Anyway thanks for the trip back in time!!
Zach
I'm very jealous you got to climb it! Must have been quite the experience  |
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 baddPremium
join:2001-10-04
De Queen, AR
kudos:1 | reply to TigerLord
Thank you for the tour very informative and of course very nice photos.
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He had a photographic memory which was never developed. |
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zach3ZachPremium
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Saint Louis, MO Reviews:
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It actually gives me the creeps yet to this day. I only wish I was good enough with words to explain to everyone just how cramped the climb up and down actually was.
Oh, by the way I think it was also over 100 degrees in the cramped environment with next to no ventilation!!
I would compare it to the time I managed to get stuck in a cave in Southern Indiana my Senior year in H.S. I managed to squirm out of that one also. Only weighed about 130 back then!!
What a dummy!!!  |
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TigerLordResident pentaxianPremium,Mod
join:2002-06-09
Montreal
kudos:6 | They closed the pyramid at Coba as well this year, so there are very few Mayan structures left in the World people can still climb. Bummer! |
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