Tulum

Tulum was built in the late thirteenth century during the Mayan post-classical period. This was a period of time when the Mayan culture was in decline, so the city lacks some of the elegance of other Famous ruins. The ancient name may have been Zama which means City of Dawn because it faces the sunrise. In Yucatan Maya, Tulum means wall or trench referring to the walls surrounding the city. The Tulum ruins are perched on a rocky cliff overlooking the Caribbean in the Yucatan Pennisula, Mexico. Tulum was the only Mayan city built on a coast and one of the few protected by a wall.

Tulum came to prominence in the 13th century when most of the large Mayan cities had collapsed. It was a seaside port with trading routes all the way down to Belize. Salt and textiles as well as turquoise and jade were among some of the main goods brought to Tulum by sea. Cooper artifacts from the Mexican highlands are brought by land as are ceramics and gold objects from all over the Yucatan.

In 1518, Spanish conquistador, Juan de Grijalva sailed pasted Tulum and was astonished at the walled city with its buildings painted red, yellow, and blue and a fire flaming on top of a seaside watchtower. Tulum survived about 75 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico and one of the last Mayan cities to be abandoned.The demise of Tulum seems to be from Old World diseases. The most prominent remaining structure is the Castillo or castle which is perched on a limestone cliff overlooking the Caribbean coast. The Temple of the Frescoes is well preserved and stands in front of the Castillo. There is a mural painted in three sections inside the temple. The first level portrays the Mayan world of the dead, the middle portrays the living, and the final, highest piece portrays the creator and rain gods. In the middle living section, a god on a four-legged animal is portrayed. It is believed that the aniall is a horse proving the Mayans occupied Tulum in 1518 when they saw animals for the first time with the arrival of the Spanish. Above the doorway of the temple, a figure with bird's wings and a tail is chiseled. This diving god is believed to be the Mayan deity who protected the people. The figure is well-preserved on numerous buildings around the site.

Tulum is a giant puzzle waiting to be pieced together with just the right amount of knowledge and a vivid imagination. It is set apart from the other ruins because it hosts its own private beach and well-preserved ruins.