2. World Heritage Sites Research Report
Location:
ChichenItza is located at Etat de Yucatan, Municipalité de
Tinum, México. Midway between Merida and Valladolid and
is only 120 km from Merida. It is the northernmost of the
major archaeological sites in Yucatán. Covering more than
300 ha, and it is also one of the largest and richest in
monuments.
Listed:
ChichenItza was listed in the UNESCO World Heritage
List in the 1988. ChichenItza was listed because it is
the most important archaeological evidence of the Maya
civilization and holds the valuable information of
PreHispanic past. The monuments show the influence
throughout the entire Yucatan cultural zone and are
among the accepted masterpieces of Mesoamerican architecture. Chichen Itza is a symbol of
national identity for Mexicans due to its beauty and singularity.
Importance:
ChichenItza is a cultural site and is one of the
greatest centres of the Maya empire. It is also one of
the most important examples of the Maya civilization
in Yucatan. Several buildings in ChichenItza survived
after the civilization collapsed, such as the Warrior’s
Temple, Kukulcán Pyramid, El Castillo, etc.There are
many archaeological sites in Chichen Itza and all of
them traces the Mayan Culture in different ways. The
stone monuments and artistic works reveals the
vision of world and the universe from Maya. ChichenItza has nearly 1000 year history and
the reason to why the civilization ended is still unknown.
Management and Conservation:
ChichenItza is protected by the 1972 Federal Law on
Monuments and Archaeological, and Artistic and Historic Zones.
There are also 2 institutions that is protecting the site: the
National Institute of Anthropology and History, and the Board of Units of Cultural and Tourism
