Chichen Itza, a Maya capital and cross-road of Mesoamerican civilization

The Castillo, Maya, Chichen Itza, Mexico, ca. 800-900 CE. A temple to Kukulkan sits atop this pyramid.

Chichen Itza was a settlement 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 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.

Chichen Itza was one of the largest Maya cities and it was likely to have been one of the mythical great cities, or Tollans, referred to in later Mesoamerican literature.