The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization that existed from antiquity to the early modern period. It is known by its ancient temples and glyphs. The Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas

El Castillo—in Spanish, “the castle”—looms at the center of Chichén Itzá, a 79-foot pyramid of stone. Also known as the Pyramid of Kukulkán, the structure embodies Mayan myth along with natural astronomical cycles. The phenomenon that El Castillo is famous for occurs twice each year, at the spring and fall equinoxes