Tulum
(sometimes rendered as Tuluum) is a
Pre-Columbian walled city of the Maya civilization located on the
Caribbean Sea coast of the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
There is also a modern town of the same name nearby, often called
Tulum Pueblo.
Tulum Ruins
The Maya site may have been formerly also known by the name Zama, or
the City of Dawn.
|
 |
TRAVELMEXICO -
Tulum
Ruined palace, TulumWhile an
inscription dated 564 has been found at the site, most of the
structures now visible were built in the Post-Classic Era, between
about 1200 and 1450. The city remained occupied through the early
years of the Spanish conquest of Yucatan, but was abandoned in by the
end of the 16th century. Local Maya continued to visit the temples to
burn incense and pray until the late 20th century, when tourists
visiting the site became too numerous.
A number of the buildings sport
fresco murals on the interior (small remaining traces of paint suggest
that the exterior of some buildings may have been similarly
decorated). The murals show Mixtec influence.
The first detailed description of the ruins was published by John
Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood in 1843. The site is of
moderate size, with construction of modest sized buildings.
The archaeological site is relatively compact (compared with many
other Maya sites in the vicinity), and is one of the best-preserved
coastal Maya sites. Its proximity to the modern tourism developments
along the Mexican Caribbean coastline (the so-called "Mexican
Riviera", surrounding Cancun) has made it a popular
destination for tourists. Daily tour buses bring a constant stream of
visitors to the site. The Tulum Ruins and the Tulum Temple
are the third most visited archaeological site in Mexico, after
Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza.
It is
popular for the picturesque view of the Caribbean
and a location just 120 km south of the popular beach resort of
Cancun.
|