Mayan ballgame at Paseo de las Animás

Pok ta Pok, a kind of Maya football, was played with great ceremony here for centuries.

The game gets its name from the sound made by the 3-4 kilo rubber ball when it is hit, and originated during the dynasty of the Maya in México. The game ends when the ball makes it through a stone hoop.

The game is steeped in mysticism. Only the best warriors were selected for the game, as they were thought to represent the deities while at play. According to some records, the losing team was sacrificed.

Watch reenactments of this ancient tradition with costumed players at the Cathedral every Friday, except today when it will be part of the Paseo de las Animás.