History | |
---|---|
Founded | 7th century and 11th centuries CE |
Periods | Late Classic to Terminal Classic |
Cultures | Maya civilization |
Site notes | |
Official name | Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal |
Criteria | Cultural: i, ii, iii |
Reference | 791 |
Inscription | 1996 (20th Session) |
Kabah (also spelled Kabaah, Kabáh, Kahbah and Kaba) is a Maya archaeological site in the Puuc region of western Yucatan, south of Mérida. It was incorporated together with Uxmal, Sayil and Labna as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Kabah is south of Uxmal, connected to that site by an 18 kilometres (11 miles) long raised causeway 5 metres (16 feet) wide with monumental arches at each end. Kabah is the second largest ruin of the Puuc region after Uxmal.
The site is on Fed. 261, approximately 140 kilometres (87 miles) south[1] from Mérida, Yucatán, towards Campeche, Campeche, and is a popular tourism destination. Ruins extend for a considerable distance on both sides of the highway; many of the more distant structures are little visited, and some are still overgrown with forest. As of 2003[update], a program was ongoing to clear and restore more buildings, as well as archeological excavations under the direction of archeologist Ramón Carrasco.[1]
Kabah was declared a Yucatán state park in 1993.[1]