Chichen Itza I - Mayan ruins

The Maya name "Chich'en Itza" means "At the mouth of the well of the Itza ". It is also referred to in the ancient chronicles as Uucyabnal, meaning "Seven Great Rulers".
Chichen Itza was already a major city by about 600 in the Maya Classic period, but the city saw its greatest growth and power after the Maya sites of the central lowlands to the south had already collapsed. About 987 the Toltec king Quetzalcoatl arrived with his army from central Mexico, and made Chichen Itza his capital. The art and architecture from this period shows an interesting mix of Maya and Toltec styles.

Dominating the center of Chichen Itza is the Temple of Kukulcan (the Maya name for Quetzalcoatl), often referred to as "El Castillo" (the castle), a pyramid with stairways up each of the 4 sides to the temple on top.
Further structures shown in this set are located in the northern part of the site and include the temple of the warriors, the adjacent great plaza with its numerous pillars, and the great ballcourt (the largest Mayan ballcourt in mesoamerica).