Temple of the Frescoes - Tulum, Mexico - Astronomical Observatories on Waymarking.com

Among the most spectacular buildings in Tulum is the Temple of the Frescoes that included a lower gallery and a smaller second story gallery. The Temple of the Frescoes was used as an observatory for tracking the movements of the sun.

Niched figurines of the Maya “diving god” or Venus deity decorate the facade of the temple. This “diving god” is also depicted in the Temple of the Diving God in the central precinct of the site. Above the entrance in the western wall a stucco figure of the “diving god” is still preserved, giving the temple its name. A mural can still be seen on the eastern wall that resembles that of a style that originated in highland Mexico, called the Mixteca-Puebla style, though visitors are no longer permitted to enter.

The information panel says:

"The Temple of the Paintings - This is the one that retains the most decorative elements of any in Tulum. It has two levels; the bottom consists of two temples, one within another, in which the decoration is concentrated.

The façade of the inner temple is decorated with murals and the outside with stucco figures in relief: masks on the corners, sculptures in three niches of the façade, the center of which is a representation of the descending god and human figures in ties, on the frieze. The upper level temple is very simple; its decoration is handprints in red.

The pigments were obtained in different ways. The red and black were made from soil and minerals, while others, such as blue and green, were obtained from certain plants."

Source: Wikipedia (visit link)

Observatory Purpose: Private Optical / Infrared Telescopes?: No Radio Telescopes?: No Solar Telescopes?: No Open to the Public?: No Is this a Club Observatory?: No Public Viewing Allowed?: No Active Observatory?: Retired Number of Telescopes or Antennas: 1 Site URL: [Web Link] Year Dedicated or Opened: Not Listed Altitude (meters): Not Listed

Visit Instructions:
Note the time of day of your visit, and your own photo of your favorite part of the observatory. This might be the view from the observatory, picture of your favorite building or favorite exhibit. (Be mindful of flash photography rules!)

If you participated in an observing session, let everyone know what you saw!

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Date Logged Log User Rating   05/04/2023 jiggs11 visited it 12/31/2021 jezevcik visited it 01/20/2014 Applefish visited it 02/25/2013 CL60 visited it 07/28/2008 Ariberna visited it

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