Templo del Tigre - Chichen Itza

Gordon Nicolson

From a series of photographs of pre-Columbian ruins by Gordon Nicolson.

Chichen Itza is a site located on the northern center of the Yucatan Peninsula. Chichen Itza was a major focal point in the northern Maya lowlands from the Late Classic (AD 600-900) through the Terminal Classic (AD 800-900). The site exhibits a multitiude of architectural styles, remniscent of styles seen in central Mexico and of the Puuc and Chenes styles of the northern Maya lowlands. Chichen Itza was one of the largest Maya cities and it was likely to have been one of the mythical great cities. The city may have had the most diverse population in the Maya world, a factor that could have contributed to the variety of architectural styles at the site.

The Temple of the Jaguars (Templo de los Tigres) occupies a platform built into the south-east wall of the ball court. The lower shrine, facing onto the great plaza, contains a carved stone jaguar, presumably an altar. The upper temple, reached by a steep stairway at the side, looks westwards onto the ball court. As in the Temple of the Warriors, serpent columns flank the entrance. The façade is enhanced by several friezes, the majority of which depict jaguars. Still visible inside are murals, apparently of a battle between the Maya and the Toltec.