Izamal - Citizendia

A view of Izamal from Knch Kak Mo Pyramid

Izamal is a small city in the Mexican state of Yucatán, 72 km (about 40 miles) east of state capital Mérida. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. Mérida ( Tiho' in Modern Maya) is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatan Peninsula. Izamal was continuously occupied throughout most of Mesoamerican chronology; in 2000, the city's estimated population was 15,000 people. Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica into a number of named successive eras or periods from the earliest evidence of human habitation Izamal is known in Yucatan 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). Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. Mesoamerican pyramids, pyramid-shaped structures are an important part of ancient Mesoamerican architecture.

1 Pre-Columbian Izamal
2 Spanish Colonial era
3 Modern history
4 Izamal today
5 Photos
6 External links

Pre-Columbian Izamal

Izamal was an important archaeological site of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either Prehistoric or historic or contemporary and The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican Civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the Pre-Columbian Americas It is probably the biggest city of the Northern Yucatec Plains, covering a minimal urban extension of 53 square kilometers. Its monumental buildings exeed 1,000,000 cubic meters of constructive volume and at least two raised causeways, known by their Mayan term sacbeob, 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. Sacbe, plural Sacbeob, ( Yucatec Maya: singular sakbej, plural sakbejo'ob) or "white ways" are raised paved Roads built 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 pilgrimages in the region, rivaled only by Chichen Itza. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance Chichen Itza (tʃiːˈtʃɛn iːˈtsɑː from Chi'ch'èen Ìitsha' "At the mouth of the well of the Itza " is a Its principal temples were sacred to the creator deity Itzamna and to the Sun God Kinich Ahau. In Yucatec Maya mythology Itzamna was the name of an upper god and creator deity thought to be residing in the sky The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. Maya mythology is part of Mesoamerican mythology and comprises all those Mayan tales in which personified forces of nature deities and the heroes interacting with these play the main

Pre-Columbian stucco head, 7 ft 8 in (2. 3 m) high, as drawn by Catherwood

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. Events and trends Technology First use of General anesthesia in an operation by Crawford Long. Frederick Catherwood ( February 27, 1799 – September 27, 1854) was an English Artist and Architect John Lloyd Stephens ( November 28, 1805 &ndash October 13, 1852) was an American explorer writer and diplomat All this 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 Yucatán 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. The Spanish Conquest of Yucatán was the campaign undertaken by the Spanish Conquistadores ' against the Late Postclassic Maya states and Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic It was named after San Antonio de Padua. Saint Anthony ( August 15, 1195 – June 13, 1231) also venerated as Saint Anthony of Lisbon and Saint Anthony of Padua, Completed in 1561, the atrium of the Monastery was second in size only to that at the Vatican. Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Stato della Città del Vaticano is a Landlocked sovereign City-state whose territory 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 Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Yucatán is located in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico; Campeche and Tabasco are its suffragans The fourth Bishop of Yucatán, Diego de Landa lived here. Diego de Landa Calderón ( 12 November, 1524 &ndash 1579 was Bishop of Yucatán.

Modern history

The town of Izamal was first granted the status of city by the government of Yucatán on 4 December 1841. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song. For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link On 13 August 1923 it was demoted to town status. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan It was again officially ranked as a city on 1 December 1981. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981

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. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico 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. The Mexican Army is the land branch and largest of the Mexican Military services it also is known as the National Defence Army

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. Pope Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States.

Izamal today

Izamal remains a place of pilgrimage within Yucatán, now for the veneration of Roman Catholic saints. A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity Several saints statues at Izamal are said to perform miracles. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation 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. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe.

Izamal was named a "Pueblo Mágico" in 2002. The Programa Pueblos Mágicos ("Magical Villages Programme" is an initiative led by Mexico 's Secretariat of Tourism (SECTUR in conjunction with other