The pyramid of the feathered serpent at Chichén Itzá back in 1892 and today. Many ancient structures were “devoured” by vegetation almost to the point where we couldn’t distinguish them from natural formations.

Kane Khanh | Archeaology
November 8, 2023

Footage of a woman climbing the sacred Mayan Pyramid in Chichen Itza, Mexico, has gone viral across social media. Following the lady’s descent, she was heckled and booed viciously by passersby. Netizens have since condemned her actions online, and one person even went on to say that the woman has “brought the curse on her family.”

In the viral video, security can be seen ushering the woman down from the Mayan Pyramid has gone viral online. She is also greeted by a massive and enraged crowd who shouted at her to be imprisoned.

TikToker user Angela Lopeze posted the clip on the video sharing platform, and it was quick to go viral. The netizen wrote in the post:

“This is so disrespectful… don’t mess with my Mexican people.”

In the video, the woman was also seen performing a dance on top of the Mayan pyramid as people shouted at her. She seemed unbothered by people’s reactions as well. As she made her way through the crowd, people were seen throwing rubbish and water at her.

Although the crowd’s reaction is not clearly audible, few people were chanting “cárcel” at the woman, which means “jail” in Spanish. Some people were also screaming “sacrifice, sacrifice” at the lady.

For those unversed, it is illegal to climb the Mayan pyramid. Tourists are not allowed to do so to protect the historical site. Initially, people were allowed to climb to the top of the towering site. However, as time passes, regulations have become much stricter to preserve the location.

Netizens react to woman climbing the historic Mayan pyramid

Internet users attempted to make light of the situation as they endlessly fired at the woman. Many expressed their views on whether people should be allowed to climb the pyramids. A few tweets read:

The identity of the woman who had to face the internet’s vitriol remained unknown at the time of writing this article.

Everything to know about El Castillo, the Mayan pyramid

The pyramid the woman climbed is known as El Castillo or the Kukulcan Pyramid. It is 30 meters high and has 365 steps. The latter signifies the number of days in a year.

The ancient monument is regarded as one of the most remarkable structures in the world. It was built somewhere between the 8th and 12th centuries, which happens to consist of the pre-Columbian Mayan civilization.

It has been reported that the pyramids contain rich treasures. Live Science also reported that their pyramids have smaller ones inside the larger pyramid. For example, the El Castillo pyramid contains a pyramid, inside a pyramid that is already within a pyramid, similar to a Russian nesting doll.

According to legend, the Kukulcan, a feathered serpent god, descends heaven and blesses his mortal worshippers twice a year. According to myth, he then makes his way to the underworld. During the events, the sun casts a show on the northern section of the El Castillo pyramid that resembles a slithering snake.

Local media reported that a tourist fatally slipped 60 feet to the ground in 2006, while on the pyramid. In 2021, a visitor of the site was brought to court after ascending the historic Mayan pyramid.