The House of the Governor at Uxmal

The House of the Governor was the residence for the ruler of Uxmal. It also served as a major administrative center and astronomical marker.

This Photo was taken from the north building
of the Nunnery. The House of the Governor
is in the back on the left.

It deviates from normal Puuc practices in that it is oriented approximately 28 degrees south of east and faces away from the ceremonial center. The main doorway is aligned precisely with the largest structure of the neighboring site of Nohpat (six kilometers away). The alignment is set up to track Venus's southern most arc as it rises over the horizon and just above the Nohpat structure.

Throughout the House of the Governor references to Venus and its inferior position are found in the hieroglyphs located over the eyes of the Chaac masks.