 | The Castillo is the
dominant feature of
Chichen-Itza. It has a 180 foot
square base and is 75 feet tall. The pyramid is oriented so that
during the equinoxes, the pattern of light and shadow along the north
stairway lines up with the serpent head at the base to form the
rippling diamondback pattern of a rattlesnake. ( In the picture above, the
light pattern runs down the left side of the pyramid.)
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| The design of the pyramid symbolizes the different elements of the
Mayan calendar. For example, 91 steps lead up each of the
four stairways, plus one step at the top which totals 365,
representing the total number of days in a Mayan year. |
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