Pyramids and Architecture of Maya Civilization

The architecture of the Maya culture is renowned. Large palaces, pyramids, and other public structures were constructed by numerous city-states and are still in existence today. To remember their kings and to revere their gods, the buildings were adorned in carvings and statues.

Pyramids

Perhaps the Maya are most known for their numerous, magnificent pyramids. They created two distinct types of pyramids. Both pyramid types shared many characteristics. They were all shaped like the well-known pyramid. Each of them has a set of inclining steps that could be used to get to the top. Each of them was constructed for religious purposes and the gods. However, they too had their points of contention.

The original kind of pyramids had a temple on top and were designed for priests to climb in order to offer sacrifices to the gods. These pyramids’ sides had steep staircases, yet they weren’t too difficult for the priests to ascend. At the summit of these pyramids, the most significant religious rituals were performed.

A holy pyramid constructed in honor of a god was the second form of pyramid. Humans were not permitted to climb or touch these pyramids. These pyramids still had stairs leading up the sides, but they were frequently too steep to ascend without exerting a lot of energy. These pyramids occasionally have hidden passages, traps, and tunnels built within them.

Famous Pyramids

El Castillo –
In Chichen Itza, this pyramid served as a temple for the deity Kukulcan. The pyramid is little around 100 feet tall overall. El Castillo has 91 steps on either side. There are 365 steps total—one for every day of the year—when the stairs on all four sides are added together, along with the top platform.

Tikal Temple IV –
The city of Tikal contains a number of extremely tall pyramids, including Temple IV. It stands 230 feet tall and was constructed to commemorate King Yik’in Chan K’awiil’s reign.

La Danta
According to total volume, this pyramid is regarded as one of the biggest in the entire world. It is 2.8 million cubic meters in size and 250 feet tall.

Nohoch Mul
Nohoch Mul, a temple pyramid in the city of Coba, is one of the Yucatan Peninsula’s tallest structures at 138 feet.

The King’s Palaces

The king and the royal family would reside in a huge palace inside each Maya city-state. Sometimes these mansions served as enormous kingly monuments. The palace that King Pakal constructed at Palenque is among the most well-known palaces. It was a sizable complex with numerous structures and courtyards, as well as a lofty tower that overlooked the city. It was decorated with carvings of the pharaoh and his family and vibrant hieroglyphics.

Ball Courts

The Maya also constructed enormous ball courts where they played their game with rubber balls. There were several courts in several large cities. Ball courts were occasionally built within temples. The courts had two lengthy stone walls that occasionally had sloping sides.

Maya architecture and pyramids: Interesting Facts

The summit of Maya pyramids was flat.

Aztec pyramids and Maya pyramids were strikingly similar. The key distinction was that the Aztecs occasionally constructed many temples atop pyramids.

Old pyramids were frequently replaced by new ones. Archaeologists have discovered additional pyramids both inside and beneath pre-existing pyramids.

Some pyramids, like those used by the ancient Egyptians, housed monarchs’ tombs.

Numerous Maya structures, including temples, were constructed with celestial phenomena in mind, including the sun’s journey.