The Pyramids at Giza are, of course, famous throughout the world as symbols of Egypt and high on the must see list of every visitor to this country. There are other pyramids, though, on the other side of the world on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, which are just as famous and equally worthy of our attention. Mexico's Chichen Itza is, for example, not just a stepped pyramid, but a whole city. Its great pyramid, dedicated to the serpent-god Quetzalcoatl, is just one of the many monuments which speak of the glory of the ancient Mayan civilisation in Mexico, which reached its peak around the tenth century and lasted until the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chichen Itza draws the crowds as an easy day trip from Cancun on Mexico's coast, so that visitors can marvel at this lost world of gold and treasure, far away from the comforts of modern life. At the centre of the city, which comprises palaces, temples, baths and recreation areas, is the great stepped pyramid, also known nowadays as El Castillo (the castle). With a square ground plan, the pyramid rises on terraces, with staircases leading up on all four sides to the temple of Quetzalcoatl on top. Just as Ramses II's temple at Abu Simbel catches the sun's rays twice a year in the innermost chamber, so the pyramid at Chichen Itza manages a remarkably similar feat. At the Spring and Autumn Equinox, the rays of the sun cast a shadow on the pyramid's northern staircase. As the sun's rays move, so the shadow seems to slither down the staircase like a great serpent. What extraordinary people these were, to know how to build in such a way that their god would be worshipped by the shadows of the sun. In other parts of this enormous complex, sacred wells are to be found. Chichen Itza and the surrounding region had no rivers above the ground, but the city had access to water deep below the earth, which in part accounted for its wealth and strategic power. Into these sacred wells, or Cenotes, offerings to the gods were made, such as gold and jade statues. Some even suggest that human offerings were hurled deep into the ground to appease their gods. Other features of this amazing site include another temple, known as the Temple of the Warriors, which is a smaller stepped pyramid flanked by row upon row of carved warriors, made to appear as if defending their god from the approach of mere mortals. There is also a very sophisticated observatory on the site, allowing the priests to view the phases of the moon and other astronomical movements, which they believed to be a part of their god's cult. Quetzalcoatl was not only the god of the wind but also of learning. In this round observatory, shaped rather like a snail, the shadows cast on the walls allowed the dates of the solstices to be determined. Not everything at Chichen Itza, though, revolved around cultic practices. Recreation played a major part in the life of the city, especially what was the Mayan equivalent of our modern-day sports. Seven large ball courts exist, the largest being 166 metres by 68 metres, for playing ball games and diverting the minds of the citizens from war and religion. One cannot help now but ponder on what has become of that great Mayan civilisation. Stone upon ruined stone now mocks the elaborate rituals and detailed offerings made to gods of wind and flame. A whole civilisation perished and its gods were incapable of saving it from destruction. Muslim read in the Holy Qur'an in Surat Maryam: “He is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth, and all that is in between them, so worship Him; do you know any equal to Him?" Holy Qur'an 19:65 Mexico has recently elected a new President and looks forward to the future with hope. As we ponder on our own future and on the world's great marvels, let us not forget to ponder on the Creator who makes it all possible, lest all our efforts, too, are reduced to nothing, like the remnants of the once-great city of Chichen Itza. British Muslim writer, Idris Tawfiq, teaches at Al-Azhar University and is the author of nine books about Islam. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com, join him on Facebook at Idris Tawfiq Page and listen to his Radio Show, “A Life in Question," on Sundays at 11pm on Radio Cairo 95.4 FM.
