Although Uxmal isn’t as large a site as Chichén Itzá, it’s farther from Cancún, so it isn’t overrun with tourists. Before it was abandoned in the 10th century AD it was a city of about 25,000. There were apparently no cenotes there, which may be why Uxmal was abandoned roughly at the time when Chichén Itzá, which did have cenotes, began to come into prominence. Today Uxmal is considered the crown jewel of Mayan archeology, with unusually elegant buildings considered to be “pure” in style without the later Toltec influences found elsewhere. They usually have plain walls surmounted by intricately-carved upper facades, which include countless images of the rain-god Chaac. Four of the structures stand out for their beauty and originality. The first is the pyramid dedicat
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