965H+RG, 97884 Ushmal, Yucatan, Mexico
This building is named after the images of turtles on the upper cornice. It is built in the classic Puuc style. It lies on a large platform slightly north of the Governor's Palace (https://reveal.world/story/dvorets-gubernatora-el-palacio-del-gobernador). This part of the platform was added later. From the north, a large staircase leads to the House of Turtles. The House of Turtles is one of the most simply decorated temples in the city; the frieze of short half-columns, looking like "rolled scrolls," runs around the temple beneath the turtles and is characteristic of the Puuc style. The closely spaced columns resemble wooden posts used in the walls of village houses. The construction quality is excellent and is an outstanding example of the Puuc style, in many details reminiscent of the Governor's Palace. The House of Turtles was built in the late flourishing phase of the Puuc style, or in the late Uxmal period between 800 and 900 AD, and is believed to have been part of the first substructure of the Governor's Palace. The House of Turtles itself is a rather small building but has beautiful proportions.
The Maya associated turtles with the rain god Chaac. According to Maya myth, when people suffered from drought, turtles did too, and they prayed to Chaac to send rain. Undoubtedly, the Temple of Turtles in Uxmal was dedicated to the water cult. However, turtles are not found only in aquatic habitats, so the turtle was also associated with the earth. Apparently, their shells were linked to thunder because they were used as musical instruments, such as drums. This is confirmed by records made by the Spaniards, which include images of a turtle playing a drum. Additionally, in the Maya pantheon, there is the deity Pauahtun, who upheld the world on his shoulders and is sometimes depicted with a turtle shell on his head. Turtle shells are also connected with altars in some contexts, and even the Corn God is sometimes shown emerging from a turtle shell.
The Temple of Turtles in Uxmal measures 30 meters from east to west and 11 meters from south to north, with an approximate height of seven meters. It consists of three central chambers intersected by corridors with exits on the north and south sides; some rooms have low benches used for sitting. Additionally, it has two side rooms facing east and west. The turtles are depicted quite realistically, although their shells are decorated with ornamental reliefs.
At the ends of the building and on the south side, there are two rooms arranged one behind the other. Each outer room has three entrances, each inner room has one. The inner rooms are situated one step higher than the outer ones. On the north side, there is only one entrance leading to one long room. The floor plan of the building is clearly structured, with two rooms arranged one behind the other on both narrow sides and on the south side; the outer room has three entrances, the inner one has one. The inner rooms are one step higher. On the north side, there is only one entrance leading to a single elongated room.
The facades have a typical structure: above a simple base cornice made of a tall, slightly protruding row of stones rises a smooth wall surface up to the height of the door lintels, which were originally wooden. The middle cornice consists of three elements: a smooth band in the center and outward, one band projecting upward, and one downward and outward. The upper wall surface has columns; the upper cornice is similar to the central one, but the projecting bands are located higher. The aforementioned turtles sit on the middle band. Around 1968, the building was reconstructed in its collapsed middle section.
Sources:
Miroslav Sting: Mysteries of Indian Pyramids
