Movie: A video of La Iglesia (1.7MB)
The chambers in the side of La Iglesia
The building on the left of La Iglesia. The front of the building is below
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The History of the City Coba dates from the Classic Period, 600 to 900 AD, after which it was abandoned for unknown reasons. At its height Coba supported up to 45,000 inhabitants. The city is thought to have been an important trading post and a commercial link between the cities on the coast and those inland. Coba was never found by the Spanish, thus being left covered by jungle until the 1890s, when it was rediscovered. Excavations started in the 1970s and many of the buildings are left pretty much as they were found. This site of 50 square km/80 square miles is in almost pristine condition. Coba is believed to contain up to 6,500 structures, of which only a small fraction have been restored. To see the complete site, you probably need about a week, but of course most of it is in deep jungle. Coba was defeated by Chichen Itza in about 900. The Coba Group All picture on this page is from the Coba Group of ruins. This was a meeting place for the Mayan community and a place where the upperclass lived. La Iglesia 79ft La Iglesia is the main temple in the Coba Group. Priests would climb the pyramid and address the people who gathered at the bottom. |
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Ball Courts Coba has at least two ball courts, one of which has been partially excavated only recently. (Pictures of the second ball court is on the second page) The ball game played an important roll in Mayan society and most cities had a ball court, which is basically a corridor of two stoned walls. The game was played between two teams, using only their hips and elbows to get a rubber ball through a hoop. At some sites, like Coba, the sides of the ball court are slanted, which makes it possible to get close to the hoop. In other places, like Chichen Itza, the hoops are situated high up on almost vertical walls, seemingly making it impossible to score (unless you don't subscribe to the law of gravity, which would give us the explanation to many other Mayan mysteries) Inscriptions and other pieces of art show that human sacrifice was a part of the game. There are different theories as to who actually got sacrificed - the captain or the whole team? Did the losing have to pay with their lives or did the winning team willingly and proudly go to live with their gods? You will hear different stories on this one. It's also possible that traditions changed during the thousands of years the Mayan civilization was around. |
| Coba Links | : | Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 |
| Main Links | : | Home | Front | Beach | Resort | Mayan | Coba | Playa de Carmen | Dining | Chillin | Night | Our Room | Misc |