The Temple
of the Frescoes, located west of the
Castillo, has a small
colonnaded lower gallery with two groups of murals from ca. AD 1450 in the
Mixteca- Puebla style (Miller 1982). The uppermost paintings show the Maya
deity Itzamná or Lizard House, while the lower group portrays the
Maya moon goddess Ix Chel
holding two small Chacs or rain deities. The interior shrine of the lower
gallery is the oldest part of the temple.
Outside, the temple frieze has 3 niches, with a central Diving God in stucco relief. On the corners are low relief Chac masks combined with Mixteca elements. In front of the temple is a small altar and stela with a short count date of AD 1263.
.
[Fig.1: Temple of the Frescoes at Tulum (photo: Athena Review).]
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