Nunnery at Uxmal, an ancient Maya city of the classical period in present-day Mexico

Nunnery at Uxmal, an ancient Maya city of the classical period in present-day Mexico. considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture. the building is typical of the Puuc style, with smooth low walls that open on ornate friezes. Most of the city's major construction took place while Uxmal was the capital of a Late Classic Maya state around 850-925 AD. After about 1000 AD, Toltec invaders took over. The Nunnery Quadrangle (a nickname given to it by the Spanish; it was a government palace) is the finest of Uxmal's several fine quadrangles of long buildings. It has elaborately carved fa�ades on both the inside and outside faces. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)