Mayan history

This year I went to spend three weeks in paradise… I settled into the dreamlike oasis of Tulum. I spent three weeks with my eyes in the mist, a blissful smile on my face, and light on my feet. I basked in the generous Mexican sun for hours and hours, barely moving my big toe, or perhaps only to take a sip of my ice-cold coconut water. The very definition of vacation! That said, I did emerge from my blissful state at some point, of course, to see the Mayan ruins of the region. Because visiting the Riviera Maya means finding yourself on land inhabited by the magnificent soul of one of the oldest civilizations in the Americas and one of the most important in human history… the Maya. And since the Mayan people, dating back to 2600 BC… J.-C., was particularly skilled in the construction of palaces, pyramids, temples and fortifications, we have the privilege today of being able to immerse ourselves in what this other life might have looked like through these vestiges of the past.

The Maya people of today are a diverse cultural group of Native Americans living primarily in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Like their ancestors, Maya culture still encompasses several different ethnic groups and societies, each with its own distinct history, language, traditions, and hierarchical systems.

In the 3rd century AD, there were approximately 20 million Mayans, while today their population is estimated at between 6 and 10 million. However, the Mayan civilization, as it existed in prehistory and during the first centuries AD, has now disappeared. At that time, the Mayan civilization was very advanced in the fields of art, architecture, astronomy, writing, and agriculture. In fact, the term Mayan means maize, because its cultivation was central to their lives, representing their main source of wealth, along with cotton and cacao.

During the 9th century, the Maya experienced a severe drought, which devastated corn crops, led to a decrease in food supplies, and consequently sparked wars between different Mayan cities. The art of war then took center stage in the hearts of the people, to the detriment of intellectual pursuits. This was because the Mayan civilization was particularly advanced in the study of the stars, to the point where cities were built according to celestial maps and buildings were positioned to align with the sun and moon.

We are talking about a people who forged several paths still followed today, such as that of an architecture that had to respect nature by becoming an extension of it. You only have to observe the nine levels of the pyramids, each representing one of the nine levels of the underworld, according to Mayan rites.

Visiting a Mayan ruin is a magical experience, because each stone contains such powerful and ancient energy that it is practically impossible for it to leave you unmoved!