Chichén Viejo

Chichen Viejo ('Old Chichen') is a Maya elite residential complex located about one kilometre south of El Castillo within the broader Chichen Itza site. Measuring roughly 150 by 125 metres, it features eight main structures including the Temple of the Initial Series, the Palace of the Phalluses with eleven vaulted rooms, and the circular Platform of the Turtle linked to creation mythology. The complex housed the 'controlling elites' of the sacred city and concentrates the site's Puuc-style architecture. Closed since 1997 for restoration, it reopened to limited visitors in 2023 under INAH oversight.