Description of the attraction
The Yucatan Peninsula contains the remains of the most interesting Mayan cities. Among them, the ruins of the town of Santa Rosa Štampak, located near the town of Hopelchen, should be especially noted. Translated from the Mayan language, the name Shtampak means "Old Walls". The city, which has preserved objects erected in two architectural styles characteristic of the Mayan era, was built on a hill. It had a beautiful view of the valley.
The glory of the discovery and study of the ruins of this Mayan settlement belongs to two Europeans, whom the local population called "Inglesiz" - John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood. They arrived in Štampak in 1841 with malaria, so they could not really conduct a study of the discovered city. The artist Catherwood saw well-preserved frescoes on the walls of a dilapidated large three-story palace with 40 rooms, began to sketch them, but due to illness, he could not finish the work. The subsequent Yucatan War further destroyed the city of Santa Rosa Stampak. Only at the end of the 19th century, researchers were able to get here. At first, Theobert Mahler studied the ruins. In the 30-40s of the last century, excavations continued, expeditions were constantly equipped here.
Now they are trying to preserve the ruins in order to preserve them for posterity. Stampak is not often, but tourists still come. This city is famous for the fact that there are preserved inscriptions indicating the time of construction of this or that object. Several steles are located not far from the high pyramid. They were built in the period from 646 to 871 AD. NS.
