Upper Temple of the Jaguars

Why go

The temple's high position above the east wall makes the ballcourt feel like a framed ceremonial space. From the visitor path, search for serpent columns and carved jaguars without assuming entry to the upper chamber. The building rewards looking across the court as well as at its facade.

What to look for

• Serpent-shaped columns mark the upper facade
• Jaguar and shield motifs appear in the frieze

The full story

The Temple of the Jaguars sits on an enlarged section of the Great Ballcourt’s eastern side wall and faces the playing area. Its narrow platform and broad entrance show how builders fitted a substantial temple onto a constrained base. The façade stacks several carved bands: intertwined feathered serpents, a continuous line of jaguars separated by shields, and more serpent forms above. The entrance is framed by heavy serpent pillars. Behind it are two rooms whose wall paintings have faded greatly. Early copies recorded scenes of warriors near a settlement where other people appear to continue everyday activities. Parts of the entrance façade were reconstructed; the original remains and modern rebuilding should be understood together. The temple is best read alongside the lower Jaguar Temple outside the ballcourt wall, which carries a different relief program.

Useful to know

• View from the public visitor path; do not climb or enter protected structures.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.