Structure Of El Castillo

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Larry and Patty Morgan celebrated their 22nd anniversary with a week's vacation in the Riviera Maya region of eastern Mexico. One of the highlights was a tour of the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, including the main structure of "El Castillo" (the castle). The tour guide was of Mayan descent, which made it much more special.

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9 Most Mathematically Interesting Buildings in the World | Travel ...

You may have come across some spectacular buildings, but have you ever stopped to wonder why they’re built that way?

Math and architecture are more closely linked that you might think, so read on to discover what’s behind it all…

1) The Great Pyramid of Giza, Cairo , Egypt

The superlatives that describe the Great Pyramid of Giza speaks for itself: its the largest and oldest of the three pyramids and was the tallest man-made structure in the world for 3,800 years, but there’s also plenty of math behind one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Did you know that in cubits (the first recorded unit of length), the pyramid’s perimeter is 365.24 – the number of days in the year? That the pyramid’s perimeter divided by twice its height is equal to pi (3.1416)? Or that the King’s Chamber measurements are based on a Pythagorean triangle (3, 4, 5)?

2) Taj Mahal, Agra , India

Sitting firmly at the top of many traveler’s wish lists, the Taj Mahal in India is a delight for tourists, with many waiting to get that iconic photo in front of this beautiful building. But look closer and you’ll find a great example of line symmetry – with two lines, one vertical down the middle of the Taj, and one along the waterline, showing the reflection of the prayer towers in the water…

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3) The Eden Project, Cornwall, UK

I was going to suggest some of the temples at Siem Reap, Cambodia. Angkor Wat really is astounding. But then I remembered that most of the temples at the site there draw upon Southern Indian influences. The ancient Hindu temples at towns like Thanjavore, Trichy, Madurai and Mamallapuram are in fact far older than their Khmer cousins, though they never seem to get the architectural credit, despite an uncanny resemblance.