Chichén Itzá (often spelled Chichen Itza in English and traditional Yucatec Maya) was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people of the Terminal Classic period. The archeological site is located in Tinúm Municipality, Yucatán State, Mexico. In ancient, pre-Colombian times, Chichen Itza was a vibrant city with a diverse population of Mayan people extending well into the tens of thousands. Today, the site is home to the remnants of many ancient Mayan structures, including the famed El Castillo - Pyramid of Kukulkan — that dominates the site's center. Chichen Itza is a symbol of the lost Mayan civilization. Until the 12th century, the Mayan people built opulent temples and palaces here. The dominant feature in the city, which covered 25 square kilometers in its heyday, was El Castillo, the spectacular central pyramid.