mundo maya

photography by OLIVIER ZAHM art direction by ALEPH MOLINARI model SARA ESPARZA  stretching from the ocean into the heart of the yucatán peninsula, the maya culture traverses five vast southern mexican states amid a lush tropical ecosystem. deep in the jungle in the state of campeche is the ruin of the palace of xpujil, one of hundreds of unearthed structures. rediscovered in 1966, the site was part of the snake kingdom of calakmul (circa 250-900 ce) and is known as the bird mask temple known for its seven shades of blue and green, the lagoon of bacalar is a true paradise, located in a region south of tulum that has begun to attract tourism, putting the environment at risk. with its fragile ecosystem surrounded by mangroves, the lagoon is full of stromatolites, layered sedimentary formations created by microorganisms. some of the oldest evidence of life, they can date back thousands…