Pyramid of the Magician

The most recognisable structure at Uxmal: an unusually steep pyramid with an elliptical (oval) base rather than the rectangular base typical of Maya architecture. At 35 metres tall, it dominates the site and is visible from a distance above the surrounding scrub forest. The name is a colonial Spanish invention; the Maya knew it as the Pyramid of the Soothsayer.

The pyramid's unusual shape results from its construction in five stages, each new temple built over the previous ones on a different axis. The western staircase leads to two temples near the summit; the eastern staircase descends steeply to a lower temple with a mouth-shaped doorway representing the rain god. Climbing is currently restricted to preserve the structure.

things to do sight
A story
Maya legend holds that the pyramid was built in a single night by a dwarf who hatched from a witch's egg. The dwarf eventually won a challenge against the local ruler — building a pyramid before dawn — and was named the new lord of Uxmal. Archaeologists have found five separate building phases in the pyramid's construction, spanning roughly four centuries of repeated enlargement.