Chichen Itza : Mexico

Chich�n Itz�, the most famous Mayan temple city, served as the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its various structures � the pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars, and the Playing Field of the Prisoners � can still be seen today and are demonstrative of an extraordinary commitment to architectural space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and arguably the greatest, of all Mayan temples.

Chichen Itza was a major focal point in the Northern Maya Lowlands from the Late Classic (c. AD 600�900) through the Terminal Classic (c. AD 800�900) and into the early portion of the Postclassic period (c. AD 900�1200). The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico and of the Puuc and Chenes styles of the Northern Maya lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion.