Coba

90 km to the east of Chichen Itza and 40 km to the northwest of Tulum the ruins of the Mayan city of pre-Columbian era, known as Coba (Cobá in Spanish) are situated. This name is likely to be translated from ancient Mayan language as "water with moss" or "muddy water", associated with several small lakes with very muddy water, which are located nearby.

At the peak of its existence, this Mayan city had an area of 80 km², and could boast of nearly 50 thousands of population. The major part of the city was built in the period between 500 and 900 AD and was presented by various temples, of which the pyramid Nohoch Mul, reaching a height of 42 m, by far is the most preserved. The majority of the inscriptions found in Coba, dates back to VII century. The archaeologists have also collected the ample evidence of that the development of the city and repair of buildings were carried out up to the XIV century.

The history of Coba counts more than 13 centuries, during which the city's role changed from one of the largest and most powerful in the north of the Yucatan to the symbolic and ceremonial center, and finally to completely neglected city, abandoned by its inhabitants, how was Coba around 1550. Only in the middle of the XIX century it was remembered about, when great travelers began to arrive to Mexico, and the exploration of the ruins of the city was began only in the early XX century.