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Labná
Old house
Although this is a small city, it houses three jewels: its beautiful Arch of richly carved stone; the Palace, whose facade has numerous masks of the god Chaac, and the Mirador (lookout point). It was declared a World Heritage Site together with Uxmal, Sayil and Xlapak, under the title of the Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal.
World heritage since 1996

About the site
Labná was a medium-sized sister city of Oxkintok and Nohpat, probably owing its allegiance to a regional capital of the Puuc region, possibly to Uxmal, Sayil or Kabah. Nevertheless the city had extraordinarily elaborate architecture which is largely still preserved. The site was populated from 200 BC, reaching its apogee between 800 and 1000 AD. Labná undoubtedly had a complex social structure and its style and decorative elements are similar to other cities of the region. In 1842 the US explorer John Lloyd Stephens and the English architect and photographer Frederick Catherwood visited the area, the latter taking some valuable images of the monuments of the ancient city.

At Labná, the profusely decorated ten foot wide by twenty foot high arch is exceptional, as are the monuments known as El Palacio ("The Palace") (two floors, with masks of the god known as "Narigudo"), and El Mirador ("The Lookout"), which is a temple on top of a pyramid. The city extended to 1.4 square miles and was home to a population of 3,000. It is listed as a World Heritage Site, under the collective title of the “Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal.”
5421
INAH-FN/Teoberto Maler
The Arch at Labná
5424
INAH-FN/Teoberto Maler
Palace of Labná in ruins, partial view
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INAH-FN/Teoberto Maler
Temple of the Columns, archeological zone of Labná
5428
INAH-FN/Teoberto Maler
The Palace, archeological zone of Labná
5432
INAH-FN/Teoberto Maler
Buildings from the Palace group in Labná, Yucatán
200 a.C.-1000

Preclásico Superior a Clásico Tardío Terminal
800 - 1000

Clásico Tardío a Posclásico Temprano

Did you know...
  • In The Palace there is a courtyard buried under tons of stone.
  • The only way to reach the Sacred Precinct was via the sacbe (white path) and the route had to begin from The Palace.
  • The Arch appeared on the national gold peso bills issued by the Constitutionalist Government of Yucatán in 1916.
  • Phallic representations are common in the Puuc region and are usually related to fertility.
An expert point of view
A royal residence in continual construction
Lourdes Toscano Hernández
Lourdes Toscano Hernández
Centro INAH Yucatán
Archeological site
Labná
Practical information
Monday to Sunday from 08:00 to 17:00 hrs. Last entry 16:00 hrs.

$75.00 pesos


  • Discount for senior Mexican citizens
  • Discount for Mexican students and teachers
  • No Smoking
  • No entry with food
  • Pets not allowed
Se localiza en la Ruta Puuc, al sureste de la ciudad de Mérida.

From the city of Mérida, take Federal Highway 261 Mérida-Campeche, pass the towns of Muna and Santa Elena and follow the turn off to Emiliano Zapata, better known as the Puuc Route.

Services
  • Sanitarios
  • Visitas guiadas
GUIDE
Guide
  • +52 (999) 944 4068
  • This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Directory
Director de la Ruta Pucc
José Guadalupe Huchím Herrera
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+52 (997) 976 2064
1889
Palacio_1_vista_general
dmc_edificio_de_las_columnas_alejandro_navarrete
INAH-DMC/Alejandro Navarrete
Building of the Columns
el_arco_con_la_pirmide_al_fondo_alejandro_navarrete_4
INAH-DMC/Alejandro Navarrete
View of the Lookout from the Arch
La_entrada_sur_del_palacio
INAH-DMC/Archivo
South entrance to the Palace
labna_alejandro_navarrete_3
INAH-DMC/Alejandro Navarrete
The Arch
Sureste
Si bien es una ciudad pequeña, resguarda tres joyas: su hermosísimo Arco, ricamente tallado en piedra; El Palacio, cuya fachada ostenta numerosos mascarones del dios Chaac, y el Mirador. Es Patrimonio de la Humanidad junto con Uxmal, Sayil y Xlapak, bajo la denominación Villa Precolombina de Uxmal.
Although this is a small city, it houses three jewels: its beautiful Arch of richly carved stone; the Palace, whose facade has numerous masks of the god Chaac, and the Mirador (lookout point). It was declared a World Heritage Site together with Uxmal, Sayil and Xlapak, under the title of the Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal.
Casa vieja
Old house

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