Which UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico contains the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá and its El Castillo pyramid?

The UNESCO World Heritage Site containing Chichén Itzá and El Castillo is the Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza.

Chichén Itzá was a major Maya centre on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Its best-known monument, El Castillo, is also called the Temple of Kukulcán. The stepped pyramid reflects sophisticated knowledge of architecture, astronomy and calendrical cycles.

The city flourished especially between the ninth and twelfth centuries and shows influences from several Mesoamerican traditions. The site includes monumental structures such as the Great Ball Court, the Temple of Warriors and the Sacred Cenote.

A common mix-up is treating Chichén Itzá as the official UNESCO site name. UNESCO’s designation is “Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza,” while Chichén Itzá is the archaeological city itself. UNESCO inscribed it in 1988.