Izamal
Encyclopedia
Izamal is a small city in the Mexican state
of Yucatán
, 72 km (about 40 miles) east of state capital Mérida
. Izamal was continuously occupied throughout most of Mesoamerican chronology
; in 2000, the city's estimated population was 15,000 people. Izamal is known in Yucatán as "The Yellow City" (most of its buildings are painted yellow) and "The City of Hills" (though most of the "hills" are probably the remains of ancient temple pyramids).
of the Pre-Columbian
Maya civilization
. It is probably the biggest city of the Northern Yucatec Plains, covering a minimal urban extension of 53 square kilometers. Its monumental buildings exceed 1,000,000 cubic meters of constructive volume and at least two raised causeways, known by their Mayan term sacbe
ob, connect it with other important centers, Ruins of Ake, located 29 kilometers to the west and, Kantunil, 18 kilometers to the south, evidencing the religious, political and economical power of this political unit over a vast territory, of more than 5000 square kilometers in extension. Izamal developed a particular constructive technique consisting in the use of megalithic carved blocks, with defined architectonical characteristics like rounded corners, projected mouldings and thatched roofs at superstructures, which also appeared in other important urban centers within its hitherland, such as Ake, Uci and Dzilam. The city was founded during the Late Formative Period (750-200 B.C.) and persited occupied until the Spanish Conquest. The most important constructive activity stage spans between Protoclassic (200 B.C. - 200 A.D) through Late Classic (600-800 A.D). It was partially abandoned with the rise of Chichen Itza in the Terminal Classic (800-1000 A.D.) until the end of the Precolumbian era, when Izamal was considered a site of pilgrimage
s in the region, rivaled only by Chichen Itza
. Its principal temples were sacred to the creator deity Itzamna
and to the Sun
God Kinich Ahau
.
Five huge Pre-Columbian structures are still easily visible at Izamal (and two from some distance away in all directions). The first is a great pyramid to the Maya Sun God, Kinich Kak Mo, with a base covering over 2 acres (8,000 m²) of ground and a volume of some 700,000 cubic meters. Atop this grand base is a pyramid of 10 levels. To the south-east lays another great temple, called Itzamatul and, placed at the south of what was a main plaza, another huge building, called Ppap Hol Chak, was partially destroyed with the construction of a Franciscan temple during the 16th Century. The South-west side of the plaza was limited by another pyramid, the Hun Pik Tok, and in the west was the temple known as Kabul, where a great stucco mask still existed on one side as recently as the 1840s, and a drawing of it by Frederick Catherwood
was published by John Lloyd Stephens
. All these large man-made mounds probably were built up over several centuries and originally supporting city palaces and temples. Other important residential buildings which have been restored and can be visited are Xtul (The Rabbit), Habuc and Chaltun Ha.
After a more than a decade of recent archaeological work done by Mexican archaeologists at Izamal, over 163 archaeologically important structures have been mapped here, and thousands of residential structures at surrounding communities have been located.
in the 16th century a Spanish colonial city was founded atop the existing Maya one, however it was decided that it would take a prohibitively large amount of work to level these two huge structures and so the Spanish contented themselves with placing a small Christian
temple atop the great pyramid and building a large Franciscan
Monastery atop the acropolis. It was named after San Antonio de Padua
. Completed in 1561, the atrium of the Monastery was second in size only to that at the Vatican
. Much of the cut stone from the Pre-Columbian city was reused to build the Spanish churches, monastery, and surrounding buildings.
Izamal was the first chair of the Bishops of Yucatán before they were moved to Mérida. The fourth Bishop of Yucatán, Diego de Landa
lived here.
In 1975 the official in charge of land redistribution was repeatedly accused of political corruption
; letters of complaint were sent from citizens of Izamal to Mérida and Mexico City
with no response. The official was found stoned to death under a large pile of rocks in the town's main square. A Mexican Army
unit occupied the town for some days after the incident, but investigators failed to find anyone in town who knew anything about what happened.
Pope John Paul II
visited Izamal in August 1993, where he performed a mass for the Native Americans and presented the statue of the Virgin with a silver crown.
s. Several saints statues at Izamal are said to perform miracle
s. An early colonial era statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception is particularly venerated, and is the city's patron saint.
The Maya language
is still heard at least as much as Spanish in Izamal. It is the first language in the homes of the majority of the people. Most signs are in both languages.
Major Fiestas are held in Izamal on April 3, May 3, August 15, and December 8.
Izamal is the home of a distillery which produces an eponymous mezcal
from the hearts of the locally grown agave
plants.
Izamal was named a "Pueblo Mágico
" in 2002.
States of Mexico
The United Mexican States is a federal republic formed by 32 federal entities .According to the Constitution of 1917, the states of the federation are free and sovereign. Each state has their own congress and constitution, while the Federal District has only limited autonomy with a local Congress...
of Yucatán
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
, 72 km (about 40 miles) east of state capital Mérida
Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in the northwest part of the state, about from the Gulf of Mexico coast...
. Izamal was continuously occupied throughout most of Mesoamerican chronology
Mesoamerican chronology
Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica into several periods: the Paleo-Indian , the Archaic , the Preclassic , the Classic , and the Postclassic...
; in 2000, the city's estimated population was 15,000 people. Izamal is known in Yucatán as "The Yellow City" (most of its buildings are painted yellow) and "The City of Hills" (though most of the "hills" are probably the remains of ancient temple pyramids).
Pre-Columbian Izamal
Izamal was an important archaeological siteArchaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
of the Pre-Columbian
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
Maya civilization
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
. It is probably the biggest city of the Northern Yucatec Plains, covering a minimal urban extension of 53 square kilometers. Its monumental buildings exceed 1,000,000 cubic meters of constructive volume and at least two raised causeways, known by their Mayan term sacbe
Sacbe
right|thumb|Sacbe at Dzibilchaltun in the Yucatánthumb|right|Arch at the end of the sacbé, Kabah, YucatánSacbe, plural Sacbeob, or "white ways" are raised paved roads built by the Maya civilization of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica...
ob, connect it with other important centers, Ruins of Ake, located 29 kilometers to the west and, Kantunil, 18 kilometers to the south, evidencing the religious, political and economical power of this political unit over a vast territory, of more than 5000 square kilometers in extension. Izamal developed a particular constructive technique consisting in the use of megalithic carved blocks, with defined architectonical characteristics like rounded corners, projected mouldings and thatched roofs at superstructures, which also appeared in other important urban centers within its hitherland, such as Ake, Uci and Dzilam. The city was founded during the Late Formative Period (750-200 B.C.) and persited occupied until the Spanish Conquest. The most important constructive activity stage spans between Protoclassic (200 B.C. - 200 A.D) through Late Classic (600-800 A.D). It was partially abandoned with the rise of Chichen Itza in the Terminal Classic (800-1000 A.D.) until the end of the Precolumbian era, when Izamal was considered a site of pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s in the region, rivaled only by Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Municipality of Tinúm, Yucatán state, present-day Mexico....
. Its principal temples were sacred to the creator deity Itzamna
Itzamna
In Yucatec Maya mythology, Itzamna was the name of an upper god and creator deity thought to be residing in the sky. Little is known about him, but scattered references are present in early-colonial Spanish reports and dictionaries. Twentieth-century Lacandon lore includes tales about a creator...
and to the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
God Kinich Ahau
Kinich Ahau
Kinich Ahau is the 16th-century Yucatec name of the Maya sun god, designated as god G in the Schellhas-Zimmermann-Taube classification. In the Classic period, god G is depicted as a middle-aged man with an aquiline nose, large square eyes, cross-eyed, and a filed incisor in the upper row of teeth....
.
Five huge Pre-Columbian structures are still easily visible at Izamal (and two from some distance away in all directions). The first is a great pyramid to the Maya Sun God, Kinich Kak Mo, with a base covering over 2 acres (8,000 m²) of ground and a volume of some 700,000 cubic meters. Atop this grand base is a pyramid of 10 levels. To the south-east lays another great temple, called Itzamatul and, placed at the south of what was a main plaza, another huge building, called Ppap Hol Chak, was partially destroyed with the construction of a Franciscan temple during the 16th Century. The South-west side of the plaza was limited by another pyramid, the Hun Pik Tok, and in the west was the temple known as Kabul, where a great stucco mask still existed on one side as recently as the 1840s, and a drawing of it by Frederick Catherwood
Frederick Catherwood
Frederick Catherwood was an English artist and architect, best remembered for his meticulously detailed drawings of the ruins of the Maya civilization. He explored Mesoamerica in the mid 19th century with writer John Lloyd Stephens...
was published by John Lloyd Stephens
John Lloyd Stephens
John Lloyd Stephens was an American explorer, writer, and diplomat. Stephens was a pivotal figure in the rediscovery of Maya civilization throughout Middle America and in the planning of the Panama railroad....
. All these large man-made mounds probably were built up over several centuries and originally supporting city palaces and temples. Other important residential buildings which have been restored and can be visited are Xtul (The Rabbit), Habuc and Chaltun Ha.
After a more than a decade of recent archaeological work done by Mexican archaeologists at Izamal, over 163 archaeologically important structures have been mapped here, and thousands of residential structures at surrounding communities have been located.
Spanish Colonial era
After the Spanish conquest of YucatánSpanish conquest of Yucatán
The Spanish conquest of Yucatán was the campaign undertaken by the Spanish conquistadores against the Late Postclassic Maya states and polities, particularly in the northern and central Yucatán Peninsula but also involving the Maya polities of the Guatemalan highlands region...
in the 16th century a Spanish colonial city was founded atop the existing Maya one, however it was decided that it would take a prohibitively large amount of work to level these two huge structures and so the Spanish contented themselves with placing a small Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
temple atop the great pyramid and building a large Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Monastery atop the acropolis. It was named after San Antonio de Padua
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua or Anthony of Lisbon, O.F.M., was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Though he died in Padua, Italy, he was born to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, which is where he was raised...
. Completed in 1561, the atrium of the Monastery was second in size only to that at the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. Much of the cut stone from the Pre-Columbian city was reused to build the Spanish churches, monastery, and surrounding buildings.
Izamal was the first chair of the Bishops of Yucatán before they were moved to Mérida. The fourth Bishop of Yucatán, Diego de Landa
Diego de Landa
Diego de Landa Calderón was a Spanish Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Yucatán. He left future generations with a mixed legacy in his writings, which contain much valuable information on pre-Columbian Maya civilization, and his actions which destroyed much of that civilization's...
lived here.
Modern history
The town of Izamal was first granted the status of city by the government of Yucatán on 4 December, 1841. On 13 August, 1923 it was demoted to town status. It was again officially ranked as a city on 1 December, 1981.In 1975 the official in charge of land redistribution was repeatedly accused of political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
; letters of complaint were sent from citizens of Izamal to Mérida and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
with no response. The official was found stoned to death under a large pile of rocks in the town's main square. A Mexican Army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
unit occupied the town for some days after the incident, but investigators failed to find anyone in town who knew anything about what happened.
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
visited Izamal in August 1993, where he performed a mass for the Native Americans and presented the statue of the Virgin with a silver crown.
Izamal today
Izamal remains a place of pilgrimage within Yucatán, now for the veneration of Roman Catholic saintSaint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s. Several saints statues at Izamal are said to perform miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s. An early colonial era statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception is particularly venerated, and is the city's patron saint.
The Maya language
Maya language
A Maya language is one of a group of languages spoken by the Maya peoples of Mesoamerica.Maya language may also refer to:* Yucatec Maya language or Maya, a Mayan language spoken in the Yucatán Peninsula...
is still heard at least as much as Spanish in Izamal. It is the first language in the homes of the majority of the people. Most signs are in both languages.
Major Fiestas are held in Izamal on April 3, May 3, August 15, and December 8.
Izamal is the home of a distillery which produces an eponymous mezcal
Mezcal
Mezcal, or mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant native to Mexico. The word mezcal comes from Nahuatl metl and ixcalli which mean 'oven cooked agave.'...
from the hearts of the locally grown agave
Agave
Agave is a genus of monocots. The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies ; they are commonly known as the century plant....
plants.
Izamal was named a "Pueblo Mágico
Pueblo Mágico
The Programa Pueblos Mágicos is an initiative led by Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism , in conjunction with other federal and state agencies, to promote a series of towns around the country that offer visitors a "magical" experience – by reason of their natural beauty, cultural riches, or...
" in 2002.
External links
- Izamal's monastery on colonial-mexico.com with photos and a map of the center of town
- Izamal by Yucatan Today