Tourist detained after trespassing into ancient Mayan Temple in Mexico

The woman, who reportedly showed signs of intoxication, entered the El Castillo or Temple of Kukulcan on January 3 and the video of the incident is now making the rounds of the internet.

Pictures and a video on the internet show the unidentified woman entering and descending the pyramid steps even as other visitors look on.

According to local reports, the woman said that she had climbed the pyramid as part of a promise to her deceased husband. Several unverified accounts also claimed that she sprinkled his ashes on top of the pyramid.

Watch the video here:

#ladykukulkan pic.twitter.com/7ei6zOWsKj

— SC (@Lizhueertas) January 4, 2021

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), in a statement, said that an investigation has been initiated and that the woman is likely to face charges for the unauthorised access.

El Castillo, a Mesoamerican step-pyramid, dominates the centre of the Chichen Itza archaeological site in Yucatán.

Built sometime between the 8th and 12th centuries AD, the pyramid served as a temple to the deity Kukulcán, a deity closely known to the Aztecs and other central Mexican cultures. The pyramid has several square terraces with stairways up each of the four sides to the temple on top.