Mayan glyphs have a very distinctive, old world feel about them and seeing them restored to this level is a rare opportunity. Jen - June 20, 2017. Ek Balam is surrounded by two concentric walls, which are rare in Maya cities. Ek Balam Mayan ruins are located near Valladolid in Yucatan. The term Ek Balam means “black jaguar” in Mayan. Ek Balam: Amazing site! The interface isn't the best, but it's functional and simple enough to understand. My hope is that I can be a resource for your own journey, whether it helps you to learn about places you plan to travel, allows you to reminisce about a similar journey you’ve taken, or simply brings you along for the ride. The total admission fee is 197 MXN (as of 2017). The city of Ek Balam was used from 600BC to 1600AD and the heyday was 770 AD-900 AD. And so the incredible cat became Maya’s most significant emblems, illustrating not only Mayan culture, but the entire Mesoamerica.Ek Balam is Mayan for ‘Black Jaguar’ or ‘Sun Jaguar’. Ek Balam: everything "Chicken Pizza" used to be - See 3,130 traveler reviews, 4,097 candid photos, and great deals for Ek Balam Village, Mexico, at Tripadvisor. Famous for the El Torre pyramid, 700 AD to 1000 AD was one of the most culturally significant periods for Ek Balam. They arrived at the conclusion that the walls were made for ceremonial purposes around the ‘Central Plaza’, spanning towards the South Plaza. The site is actually 15 square kilometers large but the core of the site was a walled city and contained about 40 buildings. The colectivos to Ek' Balam go from the town of Valladolid on Calle 37 between Calle 42 and 44. Developer Response , 04/25/2019. Warriors, emperors and priests alike, thoroughly studied the jaguar, not just because it was, at the time, America’s biggest predator, but because of a number of other attributes the big cat exhibited. Archaeologists are fascinated with height of the walls, which they state aren’t high enough to provide any sort of protection whatsoever. by . Although many of the buildings and temples at Ek’ Balam were used for ceremonial and sacred purposes only, the most spectacular structure at Ek’ Balam is the imposing Acropolis, a 96-foot tall pyramid-shaped limestone structure with 6 levels that served as apartments for the Mayan elite who actually lived here on the plateau. The ruins site was only about a half hour drive away from the city center, and there didn’t seem to be an easy way to catch a Collectivo, so we chose to hail a taxi to Ek’Balam, and take our chances that when we were finished, there would be taxis available. The ruins were mapped in the late 80’s, where research and excavation work was undertaken for a decade, ending in the 1990’s. One payment is for the INAH entrance fee, another payment at a separate window is a state tax fee. Much of this site is still buried beneath the trees.This blog is a way for me to chronicle my travels, as well as share my experiences with others. - See 3,130 traveller reviews, 4,097 candid photos, and great deals for Ek Balam Village, Mexico, at Tripadvisor. The 106 step journey may not sound like a lot, but you may have a change of heart by the time you reach the top. Climbing to the top.
We paid the entrance fee, and also decided to hire a guide that spoke English, to accompany us around the ruins and tell us what we were looking at.This pyramid below was the Acropolis, both a temple and a palace, as well as a burial site, and you notice the interesting covered areas as you climb, containing intricately carved stones that have been excavated. Also note that Ek’ Balam imposed the state tax for ruin visitors. It added a lot to the experience, giving detailed and we'll narrated information, while not being overly verbose. Ek Balam is no doubt a wonderful and exhilarating site for adventurers, seeking historical facts of the ancient Mayan ruins. At the initiation of the Mayan Long Count, which was thousands of years ago before even before Chichen Itza was a major city; the Black Jaguar became one of the most important symbols in the Mayan culture. Famous for the El Torre pyramid, 700 AD to 1000 AD was one of the most culturally significant periods for Ek Balam. They studied the cat’s distinctive features and day and night habits. The ruins are located near Valladolid another colonial city in Yucatan located in Mexico. Ek Balam is famous for the incredible preservation of many of its artifacts, especially the stucco facade of the Acropolis. Another interesting thing you will get to see on your tour to Ek Balam and the El Torre is the famous ball court within the city where the Mayan people engaged in playing some sort of game with a ball as a ceremonial feature.The black jaguar or ‘Sun Jaguar’ is a very powerful symbol of the ancient Mayan civilization. The ruins were mapped in the late 80’s, where research and excavation work was undertaken for a decade, ending in the 1990’s. Ek Balam started to be restored in 1997 so that is relatively new. Becan and Tulum, two other Maya cities, built defensive walls to protect against invading groups, but Ek Balam’s walls are too low, so the archaeologists believe it is more likely they were used to enforce divisions within the society. Both tickets are required for entrance into the ruins. We used Valladolid as a base when visiting the ruins of Ek’Balam. This site was smaller and shadier than the previous ones we had visited, which made it more enjoyable.