This is the shocking moment a German tourist was beaten up by irate locals after he climbed a sacred Mayan temple in Mexico.
Teresa Arroyo was visiting the Temple of Kukulcan in Chichén Itzá, Yucatan yesterday when she spotted the man going up the stairs of the 82-ft ancient pyramid and began to film.
Footage shows the man racing up the steep steps of the temple while onlookers gathered at the bottom boo him.
Some people can be heard calling the unruly tourist an ‘idiot’ and ‘stupid’.
One woman can be heard yelling: ‘You are not allowed to go up the temple!’.
A security guard can also be seen climbing the pyramid in an attempt to get the disorderly visitor to come down.
As the tourist reaches the top of the temple, he disappears from the frame, but two security guards can be seen running around the tip of the pyramid as they try to catch him.
Personnel from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and the National Guard (GN) removed the German tourist from the archaeological zone.
Whilst they guided him out of the area, dozens of tourists pounced on the man with some even hitting him.
A video shows him being escorted by guards while onlookers relentlessly follow and heckle him.
Members of the INAH and GN tried to diffuse the situation so that the man could be removed from the area.
Several tourists had flocked to the location on Thursday to
Since 2008, it has been forbidden to climb the pyramid and this measure seeks to protect the site’s historical and cultural value.
Dozens of tourists had particularly gathered in the location on this day to catch a glimpse of the ‘Descent of the Feathered Serpent’ – a visual phenomenon where the sun’s shadow casts the illusion of a serpent descending the pyramid’s staircase.
This event is one of the most anticipated because it marks the arrival of the Spring Equinox.
This is not the first time a rebellious tourist has sparked fury for climbing the steps of the Mayan temple.
In 2023, a Polish tourist was whacked over the head with a large wooden stick after sparking fury by climbing the steps of Kukulcan.
Footage taken by onlookers showed him being escorted down the steps by two security guards before being surrounded and abused.
Moments later a bare-chested man in shorts and sandals, seen resting a long stick on his shoulder as the tourist descended the pyramid, approached him from behind and whacked him over the back of the head with the weapon.
The Polish holidaymaker, said to have been fined after being held in custody for around 12 hours, appeared to be momentarily stunned and looked back behind him while covering his head with his hands.
He is understood to have told the authorities he accessed the non-authorised area to take photos and post them on his social media.
The Temple of Kukulcan is a Mesoamerican step-pyramid that dominates the centre of the Chichen Itza archaeological site.
It is more formally designated by archaeologists as Chichen Itza Structure 5B18. All four sides of the temple have approximately 91 steps. Climbing them has been banned since 2008.