Kabah: An Ancient Wonder

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Kabah: An Ancient Wonder: "

Kabah is located in the Yucatan region of Mexico. It lies 67 miles south of Merida. Cancun is separated from Kabah by a distance of 255 miles. Uxmal is another 17 miles away from Kabah.

Kabah’s Mayan ruins are situated along ‘Puuc Route’. Most buildings in the Uxmal region have been built in the style of Maya Puuc. Yucatan’s inland hill country is home to the most splendid Puuc architecture.

Only a small portion of Kabah has been excavated. Kabah houses several intriguing and strange sculptures and buildings.

Palace of the Masks is the central building in Kabah. The façade of this structure is built in Chenes style. It is covered with nearly 250 masks of Chac, who is the rain god. He is also known as ‘the Big Nosed God’. Kabah is a wonderful representation of Mayan architecture. Kabah is similar to other spots in the region of Puuc, in that it depends on rain for the protection of the corn crops. Hence, there is intense devotion to Chac.

Kabah comprises of a large arch replete with a ‘sacbe’ or ancient road. It connects Kabah to Uxmal, which is another Mayan site. During the Classic Period (which lasted from 600 AD to 900 AD), Uxmal served as a governmental center. Kabah was a satellite city. The archaeological section thrown open to the public is rather small. Kabah was, without doubt, a large and blooming city. There are several Kabah ruins that have still not been excavated.

Extensive work has been carried out on the buildings and structures of Kabah. Attempts have been made to solve the jigsaw puzzle by piecing together the details. The Puuc Maya were skillful builders and craftsmen when it came to stone and plaster. They are excellent even by standards of present times. The temple’s façade is adorned with two, graceful sculptures. They are well preserved considering the fact that they were fragile and received a lot of exposure.

There is a mammoth pyramid at Kabah, waiting to be explored. There could be wonderful artistic treasures beneath the dense jungles and vines.

Kabah is a large site. It reached its peak during the eighth century. It has been excavated only partially. Grupo de Palacio or Palace Group is a collection of structures that has been completely excavated. It demonstrates the skill of the Mayan builders. This is also known as korbel arch.

Codz-Pop is an edifice that houses 250 different masks that represent Chaac, the rain god.

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