Pyramid of the Magician facts for kids
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 Location in Mesoamerica
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| Alternative name | Pyramid of the Dwarf, Pirámide del adivino, Pyramid of the Soothsayer |
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| Location | Yucatan |
| Region | Uxmal |
| Coordinates | 20°21′34″N 89°46′17″W / 20.35944°N 89.77139°W |
| Type | Temple |
| Width | 81 m (266 ft) |
| Height | 40 m (131 ft) |
| History | |
| Builder | Unknown; Itzamna or his mother (Mythical) |
| Material | Limestone |
| Founded | 560 |
| Periods | 560–16th century |
| Cultures | Maya |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Abandoned |
The Pyramid of the Magician (Spanish: Pirámide del adivino) is a famous step pyramid in the ancient Maya city of Uxmal, Mexico. It is the tallest and most easily recognized building in Uxmal. This amazing structure is a key part of the Maya ruins.
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Discover the Pyramid of the Magician
The Pyramid of the Magician is the main building in the ancient Maya city of Uxmal. Uxmal is in the Puuc region of Mexico. It was one of the biggest cities on the Yucatán Peninsula. At its busiest, Uxmal was home to about 25,000 people. The city thrived from 600 to 1000 AD. Most of its great buildings were constructed between 700 and 1000 AD. The name Uxmal means 'thrice-built' in the Mayan language. This refers to how its biggest pyramid was built in many layers.
Uxmal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Its ceremonial buildings show the best of late Maya art and architecture. The Pyramid of the Magician stands in the center of the complex. It is at the entrance to the main courtyard. The pyramid faces west, looking over the Nunnery Quadrangle. It is also positioned so its western stairs face the setting sun during the summer solstice.
Building the Pyramid: A Long History
Construction of the first temple began around 560 AD. The pyramid was made bigger over the next 400 years. After 1000 AD, the pyramid started to fall apart. It was also looted during the Spanish Conquest of Yucatán.
The first detailed report of the ruins came from Jean-Frederic Waldeck in 1838. His report inspired John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood. They visited Uxmal twice between 1839 and 1841. They recorded and sketched the entire complex. Stephens later wrote about his visits in Incidents of Travel in the Yucatan.
Saving the Pyramid: Restoration Efforts
Restoration work began in Uxmal in the mid-1800s. The Pyramid of the Magician was often repaired during this time. In the early 1970s, a big project started to protect the pyramid. Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) worked on it. They wanted to make the pyramid's sides and terraces stronger. They also aimed to improve the temples' structure.
In 1988, Hurricane Gilbert hit the Yucatán Peninsula. It brought strong winds and heavy rain. This caused a lot of damage to the pyramid's outside. After the hurricane, cracks were found in the south walls. Damage was also seen at the base of the pyramid on the west side.
Archaeologists and conservators from INAH quickly made a plan. They decided to strengthen the west side of the pyramid. They also watched for any new changes and took emergency steps when needed. A space under the stairway was filled with stone and plaster. Monitors were placed to detect any movement. These steps stopped a major collapse. However, in late 1997, more small cracks appeared. Work to protect the pyramid is still ongoing. Just like El Castillo in Chichen Itza, visitors can no longer climb the Pyramid of the Magician.
Pyramid Design and Construction
How Big is the Pyramid?
The exact height of the Pyramid of the Magician is debated. Some say it is 40 meters (131 feet) tall. Others say it is 27.6 meters (90.5 feet). The most common height given is 35 meters (115 feet). Its base is about 69 by 49 meters (227 by 162 feet). Even with different measurements, it is still the tallest building in Uxmal.
The Pyramid of the Magician is very special among Maya buildings. It has rounded sides, is very tall, has steep slopes, and an unusual oval base.
Building in Layers: Construction Phases
The pyramid was built in several stages over three centuries. This happened during the Terminal Classic Period. Construction began around the 6th century and continued until the 10th century. The Maya often built new structures on top of older ones. This is called superimposition. The pyramid you see today has five temples built one inside the other.
You can see parts of the first temple at the base of the west side. The second and third temples are reached through the eastern staircase. Temple IV is clearly visible from the west side. If you climb to the top of the east stairs, you will find Temple V.
- Temple I is the oldest part. It is on the west side, at the pyramid's base. It dates back to about the 6th century AD. This is known from a date on a door and radiocarbon dating. This temple is decorated with masks of the god Chaac. The passage to this temple was closed after Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 to protect it.
- Temple II can be entered from the upper part of the eastern staircase. This temple is only partly dug out. Its main room has columns.
- Temple III is built behind Temple II. It has a small central shrine and an entrance room.
- Temple IV is entered from the west side. It has the most decorations. Its front looks like a giant mask of Chaac, with the door as its mouth. This temple is covered with masks of the rain god and other patterns.
- Temple V, also called The House of the Magician, is the last part built. It sits on top of the pyramid and dates from the 9th century. Temple V has three rooms and also features patterned decorations.
There are two staircases leading to the top. Both are very steep, at a 60° angle. The Eastern Stairs are wider and go from the base to the top temple. The Western Stairs face the Nunnery. They are richly decorated with images of the rain god Chaac. As people climbed these stairs, it was like climbing the "Stairways of the Gods."
Maya Architectural Styles
The early parts of the Pyramid of the Magician were built in the Puuc style. This style often has plain lower parts and very decorated upper parts. Later Puuc styles used limestone and smooth walls. They also featured plaster finishes and many masks of the rain god Chaac.
Chenes design was popular in later Maya building. It is known for doorways shaped like a single creature mask, where the entrance is the mouth. The front of Chenes buildings often has three parts. Chaac masks are common decorations. You can see Chenes features in the upper temples of the pyramid.
Visiting the Pyramid Today
The Pyramid of the Magician is still the main attraction at Uxmal. You can find modern facilities at the entrance, right in front of the pyramid. These include a cafeteria, souvenir shop, and restrooms. There is also a small museum and an auditorium. The site is open from 8 am to 5 pm. Every evening, there is a sound and light show about the pyramid, presented in English and Spanish.
The Legend of the Magician
The pyramid gets its name from old folk legends told by the local Maya people. No one knows how old these stories are. The original Maya name for the pyramid is also unknown. There are different versions of the story about how the Pyramid of the Magician was built.
One story says that a magician-god named Itzamna built the pyramid all by himself in one night. He used his great strength and magic.
Another tale says that a special gong would sound, and then the city of Uxmal would be ruled by a boy "not born of woman." One day, a dwarf struck the gong. This dwarf was not born from a mother, but hatched from an egg by an old woman. The sound of the gong scared the city's ruler. He ordered the dwarf to be killed. But the ruler changed his mind. He promised to spare the dwarf's life if he could do three impossible tasks. One task was to build a huge pyramid, taller than any other building, in just one night. The dwarf completed all the tasks, including building the pyramid. The dwarf became the new ruler of Uxmal, and the pyramid was named after him.
A slightly different version of this story is told by Hans Li: "Legend tells that this temple-pyramid was built by a powerful dwarf magician, who was hatched from an egg by his mother. Under a threat by an Uxmal king he was ordered to build this temple within a fortnight, or else lose his life."
In other stories, the old woman is a witch. The dwarf is a boy who magically grows into an adult overnight.
Here is the official legend told to John Lloyd Stephens in 1840 by a local Maya person:
There was an old woman who lived in a hut where the pyramid now stands. This old woman was a witch. One day, she was sad because she had no children. She took an egg, wrapped it in cloth, and put it in her hut. Every day she checked the egg. One day, it hatched, and a small creature came out. It looked like a baby.
The old woman was very happy. She called the baby her son. She took good care of him. Within a year, he was walking and talking like a man. But he stopped growing after a year. The old woman was proud and told him he would be a great Lord or King someday.
One day, she told her son to go to the House of the Governor. He was to challenge the King to a test of strength. The dwarf did not want to go at first, but his mother insisted. So he went to see the King. The guards let him in, and he challenged the King. The King smiled. He told the dwarf to lift a stone that weighed 34 kg (75 pounds). The dwarf cried and ran back to his mother. The wise witch told her son to tell the King that if the King lifted the stone first, then he would lift it too. The dwarf returned and told the King. The King lifted the stone, and the dwarf did the same. The King was impressed and a little nervous. He tested the dwarf all day with other strength feats. Each time the King did something, the dwarf could match it.
The King became angry that a dwarf could match him. He told the dwarf that he must build a house taller than any other in the city in one night, or he would be killed. The dwarf again ran crying to his mother. She told him not to lose hope and to go straight to bed. The next morning, the city woke up to see the Pyramid of the Dwarf finished. It was taller than any other building.
The King saw this from his palace and was furious again. He called the dwarf and ordered one final test. The dwarf had to collect two bundles of Cogoil wood, which is very strong and heavy. The King would break the wood over the dwarf’s head. After that, the dwarf could have his turn to break the wood over the King's head.
The dwarf again ran to his mother for help. She told him not to worry. She placed a magical tortilla on his head for protection. The test was to be done in front of all the city's important men. The King broke his whole bundle of wood over the dwarf’s head, one stick at a time. The King could not hurt the dwarf. He then tried to back out of his challenge. But in front of everyone, he knew he had no choice. He had to let the dwarf have his turn.
The second stick from the dwarf’s bundle broke the King's skull into pieces. He fell dead at the dwarf's feet. The dwarf was then hailed as the new King.
What People Said About Uxmal
John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood visited Uxmal in 1839 and again in 1841. Describing his first view of the ruins, Stephens wrote: "We took another road, and, emerging suddenly from the woods, to my astonishment came at once upon a large open field strewed with mounds of ruins, and vast buildings on terraces, and pyramidal structures, grand and in good preservation, richly ornamented, without a bush to obstruct the view, and in picturesque effect almost equal to the ruins of Thebes... The place of which I am now speaking was beyond all doubt once a large, populous, and highly civilized city. Who built it, why it was located away from water or any of those natural advantages which have determined the sites of cities whose histories are known, what led to its abandonment and destruction, no man can tell."
Octavio Paz, a famous writer, also shared his thoughts: "The pyramid is an image of the world; in turn, that image of the world is a projection of human society. If it is true that man invents gods in his own image, it is also true that he sees his own image in the images that the sky and the earth offer him. Man makes human history of the inhuman landscape; nature turns history into cosmogony, the dance of the stars."
Hans Helfritz, an explorer, noted: “The classical pyramid form has been abandoned here. It is as if the Mayan architects had remembered the mountain peaks where the gods had been worshipped in the hazy past.”
See also
In Spanish: Pirámide del adivino para niños
