Located in the center of an open court stands the Temple of Kukulkan, also referred to as El Castillo (the castle in Spanish). Dedicated to the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, this is the most famous landmark of Chichén Itzá. On the Spring and Autumn equinox, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the pyramid casts a shadow in the shape of a snake, representing the god Quetzalcoatl. As the sun moves, the serpent slowly descends into the earth.
The temple contains many references to the important Mayan calendar. Each of El Castillo’s four sides has 91 steps which, when added together and including the temple platform , equals the 365 days of the solar year. Each of the nine terraces are divided in two, which makes 18, symbolizing the number of months in the Maya calendar. The terraces contain a total of 52 panels, referring to the 52-year cycle when both the solar and religious calendars converge.
