Why go
Look beyond El Castillo’s silhouette to see how builders handled wall surfaces and doorways. Las Monjas and Akab Dzib preserve details that connect Chichen Itza to architectural traditions of northern Yucatán and Campeche, while still differing from their regional counterparts.
The full story
Puuc-style buildings at Chichen Itza appear in Chichén Viejo, in older parts of the Las Monjas group and at Akab Dzib. Their upper façades carry stone mosaic decoration, a hallmark of the style. Yet these buildings use block masonry walls rather than the fine stone veneers associated with the Puuc heartland. At least one building in the Las Monjas group has a richly worked façade and a doorway framed as a mask, features associated with the Chenes style centered in northern Campeche. Sculpted hieroglyphic texts are also concentrated in certain areas, especially Las Monjas. These labels describe visual and construction patterns, not separate cities hidden within the site. Comparing façades across the groups is more revealing than trying to assign every building a single pure style.