The Maya who inhabited the Island of Cozumel were known to worship the sun at sunrise. And even though the site was named Zama for dawn, the Maya at Tulum are known to have worshipped the setting sun.
Tulum, unlike many other Maya cities has been used as a fortress into the 20th century.
In 1518 the Spanish documented sighting, what is surely Tulum. They compared the city to Seville in Spain and noted that there was a very tall tower seen there. This is certainly a reference to the Castillo. During the Maya uprising of the War for the Castes, which began in 1847 and lasted until 1901, Tulum served as a fortress for the rebels. In 1871 it was used as a sanctuary by the cult of the "Speaking Cross" of Santa Cruz. They were led by the Indian woman Maria Uicab, who was also known as the patron saint of Tulum.
These iguanas are everywhere.
One of the most interesting things about the architectural precision of Tulum is the natural show that takes places during the summer solstice. On this date, the sun is perfectly aligned to beam, with laser-like intensity through the centre of the Tulum Temple opening. This was a major event for the community and the high priests (all members of the nobility) exerted a fair amount of control over the unsuspecting masses with this impressive event. There is a small stone pallet high on the hill that receives both the sun beams and moon rays of this impressive engineering and architectural feat. The events were much anticipated and attracted crowds from neighbouring communities with what sounds like the equivalent of a moden day concert. Our guide also mentioned that attendees would also have received mild hallucinogens to enhance their spiritual experiences. The idea behind all of this was to maintain control over the masses by showing alignment with the gods. This ensured a docile, tax paying worker base who were happy to keep the priest happy. In an interesting note; any form of physical or mental disability meant instant access to the noble classes. They were absorbed into the highest families and seen as being specially "chosen" by the Gods.