Kabah Arch, Puuc, Yuc., Mexico
Equally impressive as an architectural monument is the large pyramid, which reaches a height of 24 meters. Next to it are the ruins of another imposing structure that was directly adjacent to the pyramid. This building may have been intended for public use; one hypothesis suggests that it could have hosted meetings of the city’s elite, who made key decisions. One of the latest archaeological discoveries made during the excavation of this structure is the so-called "rulers' kitchen," a room measuring over 500 square meters, where numerous fragments of ceramic vessels and various cooking utensils were found.
Located on the northern side of the sacbe that leads south to a small pyramidal temple and then to Uxmal, the Great Pyramid is formed by several terraces stacked on top of each other with smoothly rounded corners, each level smaller in size than the one below it. On the southern side, there is also a wide staircase and a four-room temple at the top. This building and two smaller ones at its base have windows facing south, directly toward the sacbe. At the foot of the staircase is a group of stone-carved altars. Two altars are decorated with bas-reliefs depicting figures performing rituals—illustrative of those conducted in this pyramid. Each figure wears a helmet with a bird’s head and wings on their arms. Two altars are plain. Among the known altars in Kabah, many are associated with the ring formed by the Southern Pyramid, the Sacbe, and the Great Pyramid, giving ceremonial significance to the central group.
