The city of Merida in Mexico was founded in 1542 and is the most populous in the Yucatan Peninsula. For many centuries it was a flourishing center of the textile industry and had strong trade links with Europe, especially with France. The city is also known as "Ciudad Blanca" or "White City" due to the white clothes worn by the townspeople. This tradition continues to this day.
The city of Mérida, Mexico is famous for its landmarks that retain much of their old colonial charm. For those who are planning a vacation, this place will provide exciting adventures. Merida in Mexico is great for art lovers. In the vastness of the city there are a considerable number of museums and parks for walking. If you are confused by the variety of famous places, and you do not know what to see in Merida inMexico, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most popular of them.
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor, also known as Plaza de la Independencia (Independence Square) or Plaza Grande, is the commercial and cultural center of Mérida in Mexico. Undoubtedly, this square will be an excellent start to a tour of the center of the old city. Here are the memorable buildings of Merida and cover an entire city block. There are also many markets and independent traders offering food, souvenirs and handicrafts on the square. Visiting restaurants in the area, you can taste traditional Mexican cuisine. Since 1965, fans of Latin American dance have been able to attend the weekly dance event "Yucatan Serenade" in the nearby Sta Lucia Park.
World Museum of Maya Culture
Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, one of the most valuable cultural houses in Mexico, is dedicated to the fascinating culture that emerges from every corner of the Yucatan. The museum consists of four large expositions that have preserved more than 500 relics. The main monuments of this impressive collection show ancient engravings and sculptures, historical documents and textiles dating back to the pre-Spanish period. Also, your eyes are presented with exciting exhibits of the colonial period. Of particular interest is the section on the Mayan culture as it exists today. At night, on the walls of the museum building, you can see high-techprojection audiovisual show celebrating the long history of the local population.
Merida Cathedral
On the east side of Mayor Square, the Merida Cathedral was erected, which took the place of the former Mayan temple. This impressive building was built between 1561 and 1598 and is considered the most majestic church on the peninsula. The façade of the building is quite simple, but the interior boasts rich decoration, with numerous references to Mayan history and the colonial history of the city itself. At the entrance to the temple, one of the first attractions of Merida in Mexico, you can see a picture above the doorway - the Mayan ruler Titul-Kiu visiting the conquistador Francisco Montejo in Tycho. Another notable feature of the temple is the Chapel of Christ of the Blisters (Capilla del Cristo de las Ampollas), famous for its 16th-century wood carvings and known for its blisters left after the tree was burned during a fire.
Sepeda Peraza Park and Jesus Church
In the picturesque Cepeda Peraza Park (or Hidalgo Park) stands the quaint Church of Jesus, or the Church of the Third Order (Iglesia de la Tercera Orden), a favorite place for weddings. It was built in the 17th century as part of a monastery that later served as a Jesuit seminary. Every self-respecting tourist is simply obliged, after admiring the park and the magnificent exterior of the church, to look inside. There you will see an exquisite high altar made of carved wood, gilded on top, made in the Plateresque style, a tradition popularin communities of talented silversmiths. You can ride through the park on one of the funny horse-drawn buses, the route of which runs through the city's most interesting colonial architecture.
Fernando Garcia Ponce Governor's Palace and Museum
All visitors to Mérida simply must see the government palace (Palace Goberno), erected in 1892 and decorated with 31 interesting frescoes, painted by the artist Fernando Castro Pacheco in 1971-1974. The building itself and its magnificent central courtyard are regarded as a masterpiece of architecture, and in addition to the frescoes, there is a museum with a rich collection of paintings from the first Mexican artists covering the themes of the Spanish invasion. It is also worth taking some time to inspect the building itself, in particular the balcony, which offers a panoramic view of the Plaza Mayor.
Ancient ruins of Uxmal
This attraction is located 80 kilometers south of the city and is considered one of the most beautiful pre-Columbian places in Mexico. In 1996, the ruins of Uxmal were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building was built in the 6th century, in the Puuk style, as evidenced by the thin limestone cladding with square or lattice patterns. On top of the smooth walls, you can see many masks of the God of rain - Chak, depicted with a long curved nose and snakes. Of particular value are:
- The Pyramid of the Soothsayer, 35 meters high and ovalbasis. Considered the tallest structure.
- Temple I, which has the exact age indicated on the door lintel, is 569 AD. Considered the oldest building.
- Sculpture of Queen Uxmal.
The site of the ruins also houses a museum containing four stone heads of the rain god Chaka and hieroglyphic panels.
Natural History Museum and Canton Palacio
Museo de Arqueología e Historía is housed in a beautifully restored former government building called Palacio Canton. This 19th-century building houses a collection of materials dating back to the height of the Maya civilization, as well as other advanced cultures from pre-Columbian Mexico. The main treasures of this collection are sacrificial gifts, reproductions of sketches of Mayan sites drawn by the archaeologist Frederick Catherwood, and photographs taken by Theober Mahler.
Casa Montejo Museum
On the south side of Plaza Mayor is the Casa Montejo Museum, one of the earliest examples of Spanish colonial architecture in Mexico. The building was built in 1549 as the residence of the we althy Montejo family, who owned it until 1978. The once magnificent Platera façade of the palace stretched across the entire south side of the square, but now it is somewhat smaller, but equally impressive. Inside is Casa Montejo, an interesting museum furnished with antiques imported from Europe. Of particular interest are the coat of arms of the Montejo family, as well as stonesculptures of a conquistador standing with one foot on the curved head of the defeated Maya.
Tourists who visited this city leave only positive feedback about Merida and Mexico. This multifaceted country impresses to the core with its beauties, traditions and customs. Definitely, all the splendor of Merida in Mexico cannot be conveyed in the photo. This is exactly the city that you need to see with your own eyes.
