The Palace is very beautiful; quiet and peaceful and gentle and comforting. The pinkish-orange limestone just has a magical feeling to it. The Palace has 3 levels, although only the lower level is open to the public. The lower level has many fascinating carvings on the walls above and beside the doors, including the obligatory Chac-Mool masks. I enjoyed the Palace very much; I really enjoyed the feeling and energy of this temple.
According to the INAH Plaque accompanying this temple, the Mayans reworked the Palace at least 12 times. The earliest structures are located on the 2nd level. Initially, 2 buildings and a patio formed the Palace. The Mayans added 67 rooms, 7 patios, and several stairways and passages, the stairways and passages allowed easy access throughout all areas of the Palace. The Mayans built the Palace in the Puuc architectural style, including the Chaac (the ancient Mayan rain deity) masks and the carved stone designs. Archaeologists found ceramic objects and metates (grinding stones) in the west patio, indicating that the Mayans prepared food there. Archaeologists suspect that the center patio was the sea of administrative activity and the members of the upper class used the east patio for living quarters. The Mayans constructed the Palace between 750-1000 A.D.
I am including an additional webpage to further illustrate the carvings on the Palace roof, which I really like.
