Mayan Houses in Merida, Yucatan

Abstract

The Maya vernacular house is an important element in the landscape of the Yucatan Peninsula, especially in villages, although not just in these. Its architecture is very well adapted to the environmental characteristics of the region, particularly to high temperatures, and besides, it proved to be resistant to the hurricanes that hit the region on several occasions. Despite its various qualities, the Maya house was and continues being the subject of stigma, due to the racism that exists in relation to the Mayans in Yucatan and their social practices, including dwelling. This has led many people to demolish their vernacular houses, replacing them with block constructions, much less adapted to the environmental characteristics of the peninsula. Some of these houses, however, courageously resist, even within the urban space of a large city like Mérida, the capital of Yucatán state, providing important clues about the transformations in the city space and how they affected the Mayan population residing in Mérida, but also, to what extent memories and housing practices affect the issue of ethnic identity in an urban context.