The second Mayan archeological site I visited in Quintana Roo, Mexico was the coastal city of Tulum . Â The city was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries . Tulum was unusual in that it was a walled city with the walls serving both for defense and to separate the sacred part of the city from the ordinary citizens . The descriptive plaque describing the walls states:
Muralla
Tulum is surrounded by a huge stone wall . Its height is irregular since it follows the contours of the land and it is rectangular shaped with only three sides; that which faces the sea was naturally protected . Without a doubt, the wall had a defensive purpose although it also served to establish the limits of the “sacred” area . It has five doorways or entrances: one facing west, two to the north and two more to the south . From the inside, one can climb the wall by using the stairs specially built for this purpose.
One enters Tulum through one of several gates through the wall . Inside the gates, the structures are numbered for archeological purposes . Structures 20 and 34 are similar, except for the degree of disrepair.
Entrance Sign to Tulum
SOURCE: Â Entrance Sign to Tulum (Tulum, Quintana Roo, México); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 February 2012.
Wall and Gateway to Tulum
SOURCE: Â Wall and Gateway to Tulum (Tulum, Quintana Roo, México); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 February 2012.
Structure 20 in Tulum
SOURCE: Structure 20 in Tulum (Tulum, Quintana Roo, México); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 February 2012.
Structure 34 in Tulum
SOURCE: Structure 34 in Tulum (Tulum, Quintana Roo, México); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 February 2012.
Copyright © 2012 by Stephen J. Danko
