MCHH+7J Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico
La Iglesia or the church is the temple of Chaac, the rain god. This small building is located in the oldest part of the archaeological excavations of Chichen Itza, near the Monastery. The temple has a rectangular layout and consists of one vaulted room and a door leading to the main part of the building, very similar to a rectangular chapel, which is why the Spaniards called it the Church. When the church in Chichen Itza was first discovered, this building was distinguished by its high state of preservation, as well as the richness and beauty of its decoration.
The main facade faces west, with the only entrance located in the central part of the building. The facade is decorated with ornamentation that continues onto the front ridge. The frieze is bordered below by a wide stucco decorated with stepped ornaments, a band in the shape of a broken snake with stepped crests, which is repeated above at the base of the facade ridge. Along the entire building run two decorated bands: the first is a simple pattern above the door, bordered by two simple moldings; the second is a fringe running above the decorated frieze, made from a strip of toothed and zigzag rods forming inverted triangles, which also resemble a snake, all realized using two simple shapes. On the decorated frieze are three masks made using stone mosaic technique, one in the central part and one in each corner, with upturned noses symbolizing the rain god Chaac. On each side of the central mask is a kind of niche with two figures sitting on a shelf or throne, identified as the four Bacabs who held up the sky in its four directions. In the northern niche is a figure with wings and an oval chest hanging on a rope or cord, as well as another figure with a snail on its back; while in the southern niche one figure has a shell around its body, and the other has a turtle shell. Some believe these Bacabs disguise themselves as crabs, snails, armadillos, and turtles.
The Church is a remarkable example of the Puul architectural style, widely spread on the Yucatan Peninsula between 600 and 1000 AD. The most notable representative of this style is the city of Uxmal (https://reveal.world/collection/goroda-majya-meksiki-ushmal). After 1000 AD, the architecture of Chichen Itza changed; it became a style combining the stylistic traditions of the Central Plateau with Maya traditions. This, among other things, became one of the criteria for including the city of Chichen Itza on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.
The Church in Chichen Itza is a freestanding building next to the building of the nuns.
Sources:
https://mayanpeninsula.com/en/church-chichen-itza/
https://www.chichenitza.com/es/la-iglesia
