Angry reactions German tourist causes trouble at pyramid in Mexico
The famous Mayan city of Chichén Itzá attracts countless tourists in Mexico. At one of the pyramids, a German tourist attracts attention - and reaps angry reactions.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- A tourist from Germany has provoked outraged reactions in Mexico.
- He climbed a pyramid without permission and angered many locals.
- Security officers climbed after him and took him down again. According to the relevant authorities, the pyramid was not damaged.
- As can be seen on videos, insults and boos could be heard from the crowd of visitors gathered below.
A German climbed a pyramid in Mexico without permission, angering many people. The man climbed the steep stone steps of the main pyramid Kukulcán in the important Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá, according to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (Inah). Security officers climbed after him and brought him down again. According to the responsible authorities, the pyramid was not damaged.
As can be seen on videos, shouts of abuse and boos could be heard from the crowd of visitors gathered below. They shouted "sacrificio" (sacrifice) - probably an allusion to the human sacrifices that were practiced by several peoples in the region before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. This is often called out jokingly in Mexico when tourists break the rules at archaeological sites.
In the end, the man was taken away, as the videos show. Several people harassed him, one woman hit him.
Descent of the feathered serpent
According to media reports, the German was a 38-year-old tourist. He had also gone inside the pyramid to hide from the security guards. According to the report, he was threatened with a fine, as is usual in such cases.
The incident occurred around an hour and a half after the so-called descent of the feathered serpent, according to the Inah. This is a phenomenon in which, at the equinox, light and shadow form triangles on the pyramid that look like a gliding snake. To protect the main pyramid, also known as "El Castillo" (The Castle), as well as other structures in Chichén Itzá, visitors have not been allowed to climb it since 2006.
The Mayan city of Chichén Itzá on the Yucatán Peninsula in south-eastern Mexico, which is popular with tourists, had its heyday in the post-classical phase after the year 1000. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was selected as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World in 2007.
