Palenque city. Temple of the Sun (Palenque)

City of Palenque

The ancient Maya city of Lakm-Ha was located in the river valley ( modern name Palenque) the capital of the kingdom of Bak, (VII-VIII centuries). Its temples are recognized as the most elegant works of the Maya civilization of the "classic period", far from the primitive gravity of the buildings of Tikal and from the magnificent splendor of Copan.

The city center, where the main group of buildings is located, is crossed by the Otolum mountain stream, over which an arched tunnel has been built. To the west of the stream lies the palace and temple complex, to the east - a rectangular square, which is adjacent to the temples.

The buildings in Palenque are built of crushed stone, laid in lime mortar, and faced with pieces of stone covered with a knock.

The temples of the main group were built according to the same scheme. They were low stepped pyramids. The stairs of the main facade led to the sanctuary at the top of the pyramid, crowned with a crest. The sanctuary's chambers were much larger and the walls thinner compared to the Tikal sanctuaries. Under the ridge, along the entire structure of the sanctuary, there was a massive wall that carried its weight. On the main facade of the sanctuary there were three wide entrances with wooden lintels. The pillars of the main facade were thin, from which it took on the appearance of a portico.

The temple is crowned with a low crest, much larger than in Tikal, with voids to lighten its weight. Both the sanctuary and the temple were covered with finely carved clatter.

Three temples in the city were also the tombs of priests and leaders, which were located in the thickness of the pyramid, which in general was not typical for the Mayan culture. The only surviving burial - King Khanaba Pakal II - is located in Temple of the Inscriptions(first half of the 7th century), facing the square in front of the Palace.

The sarcophagus of Pakal the Great, decorated with bas-reliefs and covered with a stone slab of fine workmanship, was placed in a special vaulted chamber at the base of an eight-stage pyramid. The walls of the crypt were decorated with stucco reliefs.

In front of the camera is a stone urn with the remains of six young men who were sacrificed. A two-flight staircase led from the sanctuary of the temple to the burial chamber to a depth of 24 m, the passage in which was closed with a huge stone. Along one of the walls of the passage there was a square-section channel for "communication" with the soul of the buried from the sanctuary. The entrance to the chamber was blocked by a stone slab, the passages to the sarcophagus were covered with rubble and large stones.

The palace complex of Palenque was erected on a gigantic platform 10 m high, to which two staircases led, approaching the gates of the fence. The palace was rebuilt several times. Basically, the buildings of the palace complex were grouped around two large (on the north side) and two small courtyards. It is believed that the northern part of the complex was the residence of the ruler, and the servants and the garrison were placed in the southern part. Each room was divided by a longitudinal wall and contained two rows of vaulted rooms illuminated through doorways. The walls of the Palace were decorated with stucco reliefs and frescoes. Water was supplied to the premises from the Otolum stream by an underground aqueduct, a steam bath and latrines were arranged near the tower.

Multi-storey buildings were rare in Mayan architecture, such as the tower of the Palace in Palenque. The tower rose by 4 tiers, the lower one was solid. The stairs passed through the stone mass of the tower. A throne was discovered on the upper tier. As in many cities Ancient America, in Palenque, near the Palace, the ruins of a stadium for a ball game were discovered

At the end of the historical period of time, which historians call the period of the Old Kingdom, the Mayan people migrated from central regions Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. Here they built many big cities: Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Kabakh and a number of others. But the largest and most prominent among them is Palenque. Translated from the language of the Tzeltal Indians, this means "Snake City". This was the name of a small village that appeared here already at the time of the arrival of the Spaniards. However, then no one guessed that the capital of the Mayan state had been located next to it for centuries.

This ancient city was accidentally discovered by a military patrol that got lost in the impenetrable Lacandon jungle in the state of Chiapas. Then the soldiers came across a small village in the forest, about which the colonial authorities were not aware. Next to it were the ruins of a huge ancient temple. The first scientific expedition came here only 25 years later. She immediately gave amazing results. At the ridge of hills, in the depths of the tropical forest, many ancient buildings were discovered, decorated with murals and friezes. In total, more than 1,400 different buildings were discovered, most of which are well preserved. The eyes of the researchers were exposed to many complex technical structures used to supply fresh water to the city and divert wastewater, such as aqueducts, canals and gutters. Scientists consider them to be the most advanced technical structure ever created in the New World in the pre-Columbian era.

The found city covered an area four times larger than any of the known Mayan settlements. In the central part of the city, many buildings were found that played an important role in the social and religious life of the capital: the palace complex, which includes 25 buildings and the only tower in Maya architecture, the Pyramid of the Inscriptions, the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of Skulls, a ball game stadium and other. All the pyramids of Palenque are small in height, but at the same time each has a sanctuary in the upper part, decorated with the richest ornaments. The Main Palace is a huge quadrangular building measuring 104×80 meters.

Throughout its history, it has been rebuilt several times. Inside there are four courtyards - two large and two small. They are bordered by galleries divided into a number of rooms. From the northern side, wide steps rise to the entrance to the palace. The outer walls of the palace are decorated with bas-reliefs, some of which are well preserved. The main religious building of the city was the Temple or Pyramid of the Inscriptions dating back to 692 AD. It is a burial necropolis and consists of many huge stone slabs covered with hieroglyphs. Throughout its history, Palenque has been ruled by 12 monarchs, each of whom was simultaneously head of state, high priest and commander in chief. The most prominent of them were Pacal and his sons. All the main city buildings were erected during the period of their reign. Pacal's tomb is located under the pyramid of the Inscriptions. The body of the ruler, placed in the sarcophagus, was richly decorated with jade ornaments. The face is covered with a jade mask. The plate of the sarcophagus is decorated with fine carving. The Pyramid or Temple of the Inscriptions is the most famous of all the buildings erected by this ruler. It began to be studied in detail only starting in 1952. It has an eight-layer architecture. Its total height is 23 meters. 69 large steps lead to the top of the temple. The sanctuary is located at the very top. Its outer walls and columns are adorned with bas-relief images that are not found in any other ancient Mayan temple. Among them are images of women holding children in their arms, incredibly ugly. The faces of the children are covered with masks of the rain god, snakes grow out of their bodies instead of legs. Scientists believe that these strange images depict a typical Indian Central America the belief that all mothers who die in childbirth end up in that part afterlife, which is intended only for them and the soldiers who died in battle.

Pakal's son Kan-Ksul, during his 23-year reign, completely rebuilt the palace and gave it to him modern look. Under him, a tower was added to the palace complex, which apparently served as an observatory. Here the priests tried to guess the will of the gods by the movement of the stars. The ancient city presents a lot of work for researchers. Of all the buildings discovered in it, only 34 have been fully studied to date. Around the ruins of the city, in the surrounding forest.

The largest collection of ancient buildings of the Mayan civilization in the northeast of the Chapyas state. The archaeological complex occupies a total of about 15 km². The main part of the buildings was erected between the II and VII centuries. AD, just during the heyday of civilization. Today the ruins of Palenque are included in the version of our site.

The city was abandoned after 900. Due to the high level of precipitation, the entire territory was overgrown with tropical thickets and was hidden from view until the middle of the 18th century. In 1746, the Spaniards discovered Palenque. They also came up with such a name for the settlement, although the Mayans themselves called it Lakam-Ha, which means “Big Water” in translation. On the this moment only a small part of the complex is open to the public; 90% ancient city is still under impenetrable jungle.

Among the buildings that have come down to us, the ruins of the Main Palace and several religious temples are distinguished: the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of Inscriptions. The latter was carefully studied by scientists, since it contained the sarcophagus of the actual ruler of the city and the entire Baakul kingdom. His name was Pacal, and for the closest and subjects he was the "Shining Sword". It was during the reign of Pakal that these royal temples and pyramids were erected.

Palenque is 2.5 hours drive from international airport Villahermosa. From capital region it's quite far - about 15 hours drive. From modern Palenque to ruins, there are regular departures fixed-route taxis. The Archaeological Museum is open on the territory of the complex.

Attraction photo: Ruins of the city of Palenque

Perhaps the most famous of the ancient Mayan cities. It is located in the northern part of the Mexican state of Chiapas. The spurs of the Chiapas Mountains form here a natural plateau about 70 m high. It was on this plateau in the 7th century. built by Palenque - Nachan, the "Serpent City" of the Maya.
In Spanish, Palenque means "palisade", "hedge". This huge Mayan temple center was accidentally discovered in 1759 by a military patrol that got lost in the Chiapas jungle. But only twenty-five years later, the colonial administration sent the first expedition to explore the city, which gave brilliant results.

The ruins of Palenque have a special charm. This is the most beautiful Mayan city of the Old Kingdom era. The Maya Indians chose an exceptionally good place for its construction. In several places at once, majestic buildings rise above the forest thickets, like white ghosts: a square, similar to the bell tower of a medieval cathedral, the tower of the palace of the rulers of Palenque, elegant twin temples on high pyramidal bases - the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Cross. Temple of the Leafy Cross and, of course, the magnificent Temple of the Inscriptions. Literally a few meters behind the pyramids and the palace, mountains covered with dense greenery rise, serving as a natural backdrop for this ancient Indian city. Right on the steps of ancient shrines and palaces, parrots of incredibly bright colors sit. And from the tops of the white pyramids there is a magnificent view of the sea of ​​impenetrable forests, stretching for more than a hundred kilometers, right up to the Gulf of Campeche…

The beauty of the landscape and amazing harmonious combination architecture with the surrounding landscape is noted by everyone who has been here. Here is how the famous French traveler Michel Pessel describes the first meeting with the city: “The majestic white and gray buildings on the mountain ledge rose above the sea of ​​greenery, and yet the jungle did not recede from the city, running towards it along the slopes of the surrounding mountains. This picture in such a wild, deserted place made an irresistible impression on me. The ruins in general are fraught with a special romantic charm, and the ruins of Palenque, arising so unexpectedly among the endless forest ocean, were simply amazing. Here before me appeared the riddle of centuries, the riddle of a civilization that died and disappeared, but miraculously continues to live in these grandiose buildings - witnesses of its former power and glory.
In ancient times, Palenque was, apparently, a major religious center. Its history spans nearly ten centuries. This city has existed since the end of the 1st millennium BC. to the end of the 1st millennium AD It flourished in the 7th-8th centuries. At this time, the architects of Palenque erected tall pyramids topped with elegant temples and built stone dams across the ravines that separate one part of the city from another. From the tops of the pyramids and observatory towers, the priests studied the vault of heaven and penetrated the secrets of the universe. The sculptors embodied amazing images of the Mayan gods and rulers, priests and warriors in stone. These silent witnesses of the past saw the flourishing of the great city and that. how, over time, the creations of their vanished creators fell into the power of an all-consuming jungle ...

At the end of the 1st millennium AD. internal troubles and invasions of warlike tribes led to the death of the city. Its silent ruins were safely hidden by an impenetrable thicket. Palenque had to be rediscovered today. And this was done by travelers and scientists from many countries of Europe and America.
The narrow stream Otolum divides the city almost in half. In ancient times, a special aqueduct brought its waters to the very palace of the rulers of Palenque. The shallow stream was enclosed in a large stone pipe. East of Otolum, on the grassy hills at the foot of mountain range Tumbat, blocking the southern and western approaches to the city, there are several magnificent white pyramids. All their architecture seems to be turned to heavenly deities. On the tops of the pyramids there are small temples, with rich geometric ornaments on the pediments. All or almost all Palenque buildings are decorated with reliefs. Maya carvers created them here on an unprecedented scale: reliefs are placed on platforms and pyramids, at the base of temples and on stairs, on pillars and walls, on friezes and ridges. They are made with severe realism, which distinguishes Palenque art from the art of other Mayan cities.
The city center is formed by four pyramids, among which the Palace of the Rulers stands out - a vast (104 x 80 m) building built on an artificial platform. This is a massive building with many rooms located around four courtyards recessed into the ground. From the northern side, a wide staircase led to the palace.

The walls of the palace are decorated with a whole gallery of reliefs. Some of them are dedicated to military victories: captive opponents sit on the ground, miserable and unarmed, powerless before the might of the rulers of mighty Palenque. Other reliefs depict the rulers of the city frozen in sternly solemn poses in intricate headdresses made of feathers and ritual clothes. Some of them hold wands decorated with feathers - signs of power. Submissive subjects sit at their feet. Other characters appear in poses of a frenzied dance: their sandaled feet soar above the ground, their bodies are tilted forward, outstretched arms are stretched out to the statues of idols, their mouths are open - they are in ecstasy. In some places on the reliefs survived "traces of blue and red paint, which for some reason covered the gray-white images
Adjacent to the palace is a five-story tower, quite unusual for Mayan architecture. Obviously, it served as an astronomical observatory; on the upper floor, a stone bench was still preserved, from which an astronomer-priest sat, observing the movement of heavenly bodies. The stairs leading to the observatory begin only on the second floor. In order to get from the first floor to the second, Palenque astronomers probably had to use a ladder.
Next to the palace are three pyramids, on top of which were the main sanctuaries of the city: the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Cross and the Temple of the Leafy Cross. These temporary names are derived from the main plots of the altar plates located inside the sanctuaries.

The wide facade of the Temple of the Sun, built on a low five-step pyramid, is divided by three entrances. The columns of the main entrance are decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions: There is a sanctuary inside the temple. On its back wall there is a large, well-preserved bas-relief representing the sun depicted as a shield pierced by two crossed spears. On the right and left sides of it, on the bodies of the fallen slaves, there are two priests offering sacrifices. The bas-relief complements a number of hieroglyphs, which can be used to determine the date of construction of the temple - 642.
The same date is preserved on the relief decorating the Temple of the Cross. The cross, which forms the center of the entire composition, is a symbol of the Mayan sacred plant - corn. The upper part of the relief depicts a quetzal bird, which was deified by the Indians of Central America. Just like in the Temple of the Sun”, and here two priests are depicted making a sacrifice.

The third of the Palenque sanctuaries, the Temple of the Leafy Cross, got its name from the superbly executed bas-relief. Its main motif is a cross, from which leaves, resembling flames, bloom upwards and to the sides. A stylized human face emerges from the tip of the top sheet. The horizontal bars of the cross are also decorated with human heads, only smaller. But on both sides hieroglyphic inscriptions stretch in four rows.
A special place among the ancient monuments of Palenque is occupied by the legendary Temple of the Inscriptions, which struck with its grandeur its discoverers - J. L. Stephens and F. Catherwood. In clear weather, the white-stone pyramid of the temple is visible from the plain for many kilometers. The Temple of the Inscriptions got its name because of the abundance of hieroglyphic inscriptions carved on its walls, stairs and columns. The walls of the temple were once decorated with huge slabs, completely covered with numerous bas-reliefs of extraordinary expressiveness and realism. Among the temple inscriptions, the researchers found several dates, one of which is 692.

The Temple of the Inscriptions is a pyramid unique to pre-Columbian America. It simultaneously served as a mausoleum where the ruler of this city-state rested, just as it was customary in Ancient Egypt. This discovery was made in 1952 by the Mexican archaeologist Alberto Rus Luillie.
For four years, starting in 1949, Alberto Ruz Luillier, guided by intuition and scientific experience, went to unravel the mystery hidden under the pyramid. At that time, the scientist was engaged in the restoration of the Temple of the Inscriptions. While exploring the interior of the pyramid, Alberto Rus accidentally drew attention to one of the stone slabs that protruded above the floor level. When the slab was lifted, a narrow staircase, covered with stones, opened under it. At a depth of 18 m, there was a giant crypt, in which, under a 5-ton tombstone, the remains of “halach vinik”, the supreme ruler of Palenque, who was deified during his lifetime, were buried. This discovery of the tomb of the "American Tutankhamen" was of exceptional importance. Before that, I consider that the American pyramids, unlike the Egyptian ones, are not tombs.
Outside the city center are the Temple of the Count, the Temple of the Lion, and dozens of other buildings. The true dimensions of Palenque are still unknown, as the ruins of many ancient buildings are hidden by dense thickets of the jungle. The ruins of houses and sanctuaries are found for 7.5 kilometers.
Palenque was completely abandoned by the Maya, apparently in the late 900s. The ruins of some of its buildings have preserved traces of the forcible capture of the city by foreigners, but the most impressive structures of Palenque remained intact. They became a monument to the creative genius of the Maya, who created the greatest of all civilizations of pre-Columbian America.

Temple of the Cross(English: Temple of the Cross) is the largest and most significant pyramid of the complex of pyramidal temples located in the ruined ancient Mayan city of Palenque in the modern Mexican state of Chiapas.

The aforementioned complex of the Temple of the Cross is located on the southeastern outskirts of Palenque and consists of 3 main structures: the Temple of the Sun (English: Temple of the Sun), the actual Temple of the Cross and the Temple of the Foliated Cross.

The Temple of the Cross is a stepped pyramid with carved bas-reliefs inside it. It was built to commemorate the accession to the throne of Chan-Balum after the death of his father, the ruler of the Baakul kingdom of the Maya Pakal the Great. The carved bas-reliefs depict Chan-Balum receiving a great gift from his predecessor. The temple had several purposes, in particular, it had to contain panels with inscriptions telling about the genealogy of the ruler, the history of his accession to the throne, as well as the divinity of the origin of his family. In addition, in the sanctuaries located inside the temple pyramids of the complex, there are stone panels, one in each pyramid, with hieroglyphic inscriptions carved on them, telling about the purpose of each of the 3 temples, as well as about the Palenque triad of gods (BI, BII and BIII) and their right to headship. At the same time, the main of the pyramids, the Temple of the Cross, is associated with the god BI, the original deity of the triad, also known as Hunapu.

The motif of the cross inherent in the complex is an allusion to the names of the pyramidal temples, but in reality the cross symbolizes the Tree of the World, which, according to Mayan mythology, is located in the center of the universe.

History

The Temple of the Cross complex was built in the late classical period of Mesoamerican history under Chan-Balum, who ruled the Baakul kingdom from 684 to 702 AD. The construction of the pyramids was carried out in accordance with the main traditions of Mesoamerican architecture. Used in their construction stone blocks with intricate carvings give their stepped design a special splendor.

Thanks to the inscriptions contained inside, these three temples are the only structures in the Maya state that, as three separate parts, perform the same function as the so-called Mayan Codes (a handwritten hieroglyphic priestly breviary written on popular paper). The panels inside the pyramidal temples describe both the real and the mythical history of the Maya. The information contained on them is presented in a coherent way: moving from temple to temple, you can, as if in a book, read the history of this civilization.

There is archaeological evidence that in 599 and 611 Palenque was attacked from the capital of the Canul Maya kingdom, the city of Calakmul. Perhaps it was these enemy invasions that served first for Pakal, and then for his son Chan-Balum and grandson Akul-Mo-Nab, to improve the traditions of construction.

Around the year 800, after an attack from the city of Tonina, the erection of carefully designed and complex buildings ceased, and at the same time there was a decline in the population of Palenque.

When the Spaniards came to this area in the 16th century, the city was abandoned long ago, and none of the Mayan Indians who lived in its vicinity remembered its existence.

In 1567, the Spanish Dominican monk Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada was the first European to explore the ruins of the ancient city, which he named Palenque. He conducted his research on a site located near the bed of the Usumasinta River, where he came across stone temples and squares.

Excavations, as well as work on the preservation and restoration of the Temple of the Cross complex, began only in 1940. The amount of funds allocated for conservation work began to grow after, in 1952, the Mexican archaeologist Alberto Rus Luillier discovered inside the so-called Temple of Inscriptions, the tomb of Pacal the Great. Since then, the site has become one of the most actively studied excavation sites in all of America.

Between 1967 and 1974, the archaeologist Jorge Acosta increased the area of ​​excavation and conservation work on the site of the Temple of the Cross complex. As part of the Palenque project, which was led by archaeologist Arnoldo Gonzalez Cruz, large-scale work began in 1989 on the study, restoration and conservation of the complex. In 1993, researchers found a sacrifice in the Temple of the Cross containing more than a hundred incense burners.

Architecture

The complex of the Temple of the Cross is located at the base of the mountain Yemal-K "uk" - Lakam-Vitz (Mountain of the Descending Quetzal), which the Mayans considered sacred, since many natural sources feeding fresh water the river Otulum.

The structures of the Temple of the Cross complex are built of limestone, which is widespread throughout the area.

According to evidence dating back to the 16th century, the stone pyramidal temples were covered with plaster and painted blue and red.

In horizontal projection, the 3 main temples of the complex form a cross. The Temple of the Leaf Cross is located across the courtyard from the Temple of the Sun, while both of them are adjacent to the Temple of the Cross. Between the temples of the Sun and the Cross rise 2 smaller pyramids (temples XIV and XV).

Bas-reliefs

Carved bas-reliefs in the Temple of the Cross describe the accession to the throne of Chan-Balum. They show 2 figures. Initially, scientists assumed that the smaller of these figures belongs to Pacal the Great, and the larger one belongs to his son Chan-Balum. However, deeper modern knowledge in the field of iconography and epigraphy may indicate that both figures depict the ruler-son: the first is Chan-Balum in his youth, performing the rite of passage (acquisition of a higher status), and the other - he is in adulthood at the time of his accession to the throne. Between these two figures is the Tree of the World.

Each of the three pyramidal temples is dedicated to a specific deity of the Palenque triad, personifying the paths to the other world, which were crucial for the Mayan ruler, since he had to go through them in order to return back with the gifts of life and prosperity for his people.