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Tulum Mayan Ruins

 

 

According to the INAH Plaque at the site, Tulum's architecture is similar to Chichen Itza and Mayapan and incorporating certain regional element of the East Coast style. Tulum's structures are small and show little complexity, height, or quality. The Mayans covered the walls with stucco and the facades with modeled sculptures, as well as brightly colored paintings with a colorful finish and strong contrasts.

 

According to LONELY PLANET: MEXICO, 9th Edition, published September 2004, ISBN 1-74059-686-2, page 928, "Tulum" is Yucatec Mayan for "wall". However, the Mayans called Tulum "Zama" meaning "dawn". Archaeologists believe that the Mayans occupied Tulum during the Late Post-Classic Period (1200-1521 A.D.), and that it was an important port during its heyday. Ramparts (walls) surround 3 sides of Tulum, the fourth side being the Caribbean Sea. However, the majority of Mayans lived outside the city walls. The Mayans abandoned Tulum about 75 years after the "Spanish Conquest". Tulum was 1 of the last cities that the Mayans abandoned.

 

Map of Tulum:

 

 

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Mayan Temple of the Paintings at Tulum Ruins
Mayan Castle at Tulum Ruins
Temple XX at Tulum Ruins