The tallest building in the archaeological site of Tulum, the three-level El Castillo (the Castle),

[Judi Lynn]

The tallest building in the archaeological site of Tulum, the three-level El Castillo (the Castle), greets the dawn. SOFT_LIGHT/SHUTTERSTOCK

Site is thought to have been dedicated to the planet Venus

By Thilini Wijesinhe
Published on Thursday, August 12, 2021

The ancient Maya city of Tulum, with glorious ocean views, was an important trading port in the commercial route from central Mexico to Honduras. The site, around 130 kilometers from Cancún, south of Playa del Carmen via Federal Highway 307, is close to the archaeological zone of Cobá.

The name Tulum is Mayan for wall or palisade. It’s believed to refer to the ruins’ surrounding wall. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) says 16th-century sources call the site Zamá, Mayan for morning or dawn.

Located on a cliff, the city may have been first noticed by the Spanish conqueror Juan de Grijalva in 1518 as he was sailing from Cuba to Mexico. Juan Díaz, a chaplain and chronicler of the expedition, wrote that he had seen a city “as big as Seville,” which may have been Tulum, according to INAH.

Explorers John Stephens and Frederick Catherwood famously visited the site in the early 1840s. During the Caste War of Yucatán (1847–1901), a revolt by the native Maya on the Yucatán Peninsula against the resident Hispanic white and mestizo populations, Tulum was part of the area under rebel control.

Tulum also became a key center of the Maya insurgent religious phenomenon known as the Cult of the Talking Crosses — which involved various miraculous incidents over several years said to have taken place during the Caste War.



More:
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexicolife/tulums-ruins-offer-glimpses-of-ancient-mayan-religious-life/

[bahboo]

1. stunning photo....

I was there a few years back on a very hot afternoon. Very powerful place....

[Judi Lynn]

2. OMG. What an event that would be! Have poured over images of Tulum so many times.

If only archeologists could break through and learn so much more about the builders of that society. It's unbearable knowing so little, still. The architecture is magnificent.

Here's a link to google images for any poster who hasn't seen photos of Tulum enough to remember them.

https://tinyurl.com/9f8tahd5

I would imagine that experience is living vividly still in your memory. I'm certain it would be unforgettable.

(The location is amazing, as well!)

[bahboo]

3. wow...thanks so much for these....

can't wait to wade thru the photos....

[Judi Lynn]

4. It looks like an amazing site! So many lives were spent there in ancient times. Almost magical.