The Maya ruins of Uxmal are a one hour drive from Mérida. It’s thought that the city was constructed around 700CE, was home to around 25,000 people and once dominated the region along with Chichen Itza. The name is believed to mean “three times built,” since the site was reconstructed many times and inhabited by different groups.
Each site that features architectural ruins that I visited in Mexico has its own unique characteristics, even among those Mayan sites. Uxmal has a number of quadrangle groups ringed by palace structures entered through corbel vaulted arches. It’s not one of the more visited sites, so it was pleasant to walk around without lots of tourists. I always find it interesting to imagine the people of the time wandering around the paths and gathering for ceremonies.
The Pyramid of the Magician is sometimes translated as the Soothsayer or Fortune Teller. It has five tiers inside.
This Puuc style of architecture features a lower, plain wall section with the upper part decorated with geometric mosaics, serpents, masks of Chac, the rain god, and other figures.
Present day inhabitants I spotted: several iguanas and a King Vulture circling over the pyramids. Perhaps they had an aerie on top.
Mexico: Mexico City, Teotehuacán, Tlahuac, Puebla, Cholula, Oaxaca, Monte Alban, Crossing Oaxaca, Sumidero Canyon, San Cristobal, Chamula, Agua Azul, Palenque, Campeche, Mérida, Uxmal, Chichen Itzá, Playa del Carmen
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Ruth Rosenfeld 
Amazing photos for such a spectacular place. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks so much! I appreciate your visit and comment.
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The Maya were a magnificent civilization, as your photos and essay beautifully show.
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Thank you, Neil. We are fortunate that their grand buildings are still standing and give us a glimpse into their world.
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There’s a lot going on in that top level of the Governor’s Palace! Seems like it should be too busy but maybe being made out of stone helps. Speaking of that, I’d love to know just how they carved the stone. The results make it look easy, but surely their tools were rudimentary back in their time.
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Although they didn’t have our modern methods, I imagine they were sophisticated in their own way. That would be a good question for the tour guides at these sites.
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A wonderful photo journey through this remarkable Mayan site Ruth. Maggie
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Thanks so much, Maggie.
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Very majestic! I’ve not heard of Uxmal before, but it looks like it has very-impressive ruins, as impressive as Chichen Itza’s. The last photo of the temple and the vulture flying high is really iconic, and I appreciate you sharing your time there with us, Ruth!
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Thanks, Rebecca. They were contemporaries of Chicken Itza and they traded together.
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There is much to ponder while studying your photos, today. The architecture is impressive, the sturdiness of the materials and how they were placed still raise questions about the technology of the time.
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We can learn so much from these treasures of the past but there are still so many mysteries to uncover. I’m glad this post gave you some food for thought.
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The site must have been desirable given that it was reconstructed many times by different groups. The ruins are remarkable. And even better that it wasn’t busy!
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It’s a delight to have time to explore a historical site or other attraction without too many other tourists around. We are fortunate to find these places still intact enough to tell their stories.
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What an absolutely incredible place to explore. You’ve captured it beautifully, and whenever I see these amazing ancient structures, I can’t help but imagine how bustling they must once have been, full of noise and life. They wouldn’t believe it looking back now!
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Thanks so much, Hannah. I do like to imagine the busy life that inhabited places like this, their dress and their ceremonial gatherings. I hadn’t thought about the sounds!
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Wow, it looks like a sister site to Chichen Itza.
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It was very much so, back in the day. They were trading partners and I imagine they shared their knowledge and culture.
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It must have been wonderful to explore a site like this with relatively few other visitors! As always in such places I’m drawn to the intricate carvings. And that cougar throne is also very impressive!
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It was a delight to wander without lots of people around. I too find the carvings so interesting, even when it’s hard to understand what they represent.
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