Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Pyramid of the Magician
Country	Mexico
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iii
Reference	791
Region **	Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription	1996 (20th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Uxmal (Yucatec Maya: Óoxmáal [óˑʃmáˑl]) is an ancient Mayan city of the classical period. Today it is one of the most important archaeological sites of Mayan culture, along with those of Chichen Itza and Tikal. It is located in the Puuc region and is considered one of the Maya cities most representative of the region's dominant architectural style.

It is located 62 km south of Mérida, capital of Yucatán state in Mexico. Its buildings are noted for their size and decoration. Linking the buildings, as well as to other cities in the area such as Chichén Itzá and Tikal in modern-day Guatemala, are ancient roads left by the Mayans called sacbes.

Its buildings are typical of the Puuc style, with smooth low walls that open on ornate friezes based on representations of typical Mayan huts, which are represented by columns (representing the reeds with which were built the walls of the huts) and trapezoidal shapes (representing the thatched roofs), entwined snakes and, in many cases two-headed snakes, masks of the rain god, Chaac with its big noses that represent the rays of the storms, and feathered serpents with open fangs leaving from the same human beings. Also seen in some cities influences of Nahua origin and the follow of the cult of Quetzalcoatl and Tlaloc that were integrated with the original bases of the Puuc tradition.

The buildings take advantage of the terrain to gain height and acquire important volumes, include the Pyramid of the Magician, with five levels, and the Governor's Palace which covers an area of more than 1.200m².

Toponymy[link]

The present name seems to derive from Oxmal meaning three times built seems to refer to his antiquity and the times it had to rebuild. In these scenarios there is no proof whatsoever. However, the etymology is disputed, another possibility is Uchmal which means what is to come, the future. Thus there is an overlap of the tradition that is supposed to be an "invisible city" and was built in one night by the magic of the dwarf king.

Ancient history[link]