MEXICO ~Temple of Warriors - Chichen Itza - Yucatan - UNESCO ~

... View of the great statue of "Chac Mool" laying at the top of the Temple of the Warriors... part of the magnificent Chichen Itza archaeological site... depicting a reclining figure supporting itself on its elbows with a bowl or a disk upon its stomach... Chac Mools were considered messengers of the Gods and used to hold religious offerings in the upraised flat plate area on the figure’s stomach... some speculate this was where beating hearts of the sacrificial victims were placed as a spectacle for the crowds below in the plaza... this pre-Columbian city is a great testimony of Mayan civilization and its people's way of life several millenniums ago... Chichen Itza  became an important archaeological site in the 1800s, and attracts millions of tourists every year... Thanks a lot Rafal! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Photo: Ignacio Urquiza
The name Chichen Itza is a Mayan language term for "at the mouth of the well of the Itza". The Itza were an ethnic group of Mayans who had risen to power in the northern part of the Yucatan peninsula, where the city is located. The well in the name refers to a number of underground rivers that run beneath the region and likely served as the source of water for the city. This easy access to water made the location perfect for a city the size of Chichen Itza.

Chichen Itza was a significant center of political and economic activity in the Mayan culture by roughly 600 A.D.

Chichén Itzá was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.

Stamps:

Central Post Office 

(Issued 17-02-2017)

Flag Day 

(Issued 24-02-2021)