Updated: 12/15/20 | December 15th, 2020
While I was in Tulum, I went back to the ruins of Tulum. While modern Tulum is an overrun tourist trap, the ancient Mayan city is a must-see if you’re in the area. Though I’d visited in 2011, I wanted to see them again because a) they are that beautiful and b) to see how the area has developed.
Constructed between 1200-1500 CE, Tulum was originally known as Zamá, which means “City of Dawn.” It was a thriving capital and trading city owing to the fact that it had access to both land and water trade routes. It was easily defendable and become a pivotal trading center for nearby Chitzen Itza. The region was inhabited as far back as 564 CE and the city continued to thrive until the Spanish arrived and destroyed it in 1518.
Around 500 people lived in the city center while up to 10,000 lived outside the walls by the Spanish arrived. Not much is really known about the exact size of the population. It’s an educated guess. Much of the local population succumbed to diseases introduced by the Europeans not long after their arrival and conquest. After that, Tulum was abandoned and left to the jungle.
After its rediscovery in 1840, it became one of the most popular ruins in Mexico.
It’s incredibly beautiful, especially given its location near the ocean. Several buildings are still intact while many more lay in varying stages of decay.
While I was in Tulum, I went back to the ruins of Tulum. While modern Tulum is an overrun tourist trap, the ancient Mayan city is a must-see if you’re in the area. Though I’d visited in 2011, I wanted to see them again because a) they are that beautiful and b) to see how the area has developed.
Constructed between 1200-1500 CE, Tulum was originally known as Zamá, which means “City of Dawn.” It was a thriving capital and trading city owing to the fact that it had access to both land and water trade routes. It was easily defendable and become a pivotal trading center for nearby Chitzen Itza. The region was inhabited as far back as 564 CE and the city continued to thrive until the Spanish arrived and destroyed it in 1518.
Around 500 people lived in the city center while up to 10,000 lived outside the walls by the Spanish arrived. Not much is really known about the exact size of the population. It’s an educated guess. Much of the local population succumbed to diseases introduced by the Europeans not long after their arrival and conquest. After that, Tulum was abandoned and left to the jungle.
After its rediscovery in 1840, it became one of the most popular ruins in Mexico.
It’s incredibly beautiful, especially given its location near the ocean. Several buildings are still intact while many more lay in varying stages of decay.
Комментарии
Отправить комментарий