Female tourist sparks fury and is pelted with water bottles after goading crowd of angry locals when she scaled an ancient Mayan temple in Mexico

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This is the moment a tourist sparked fury by climbing the steps of an ancient Mayan temple and goading a crowd of angry locals in Mexico.

The unnamed woman could be seen near the top of El Castillo – or Pyramid of Kukulcán – in the Mexican state of Yucatán dancing while an enraged group of people shouted abuse at her from down below.

Ascending the 82-ft pyramid at the Chichen Itza archaeological site – formerly one of the most important centres of the Mayan civilisation – has been prohibited since 2008. 

Once the woman descended the 91 steps, she was met with an angry crowd with some chanting 'jail, jail, jail' and 'lock her up'. 

She was pelted with water bottles as she made her way through the mob.

A tourist who climbed the steps of El Castillo (aka the Pyramid of Kukulcán) in Mexico without permission had water bottles thrown at her by furious onlookers. Ascending the pyramid steps at the Chichen Itza archaeological site – formerly one of the most important centres of the Mayan civilisation – has been prohibited since 2008

In the video, which has been viewed more than four million times, the tourist appears to be asked to come down from the top of the temple by a man who has climbed some of the steps. At the bottom, the crowd gather round her and they can be seen shouting as she tries to get past

Mobbed: The woman (right with blonde hair) was immediately surrounded by a furious crowd with some pelting her with water bottles

In the video shared on social media yesterday, which has been viewed more than four million times, the tourist appears to be asked to come down by a man who has climbed some of the steps. 

As she makes her way down, the footage shows her dancing and waving her hat at the crowd below.

At the bottom, the onlookers gather round her and they can be seen shouting as she tries to get past.

Her hat is knocked out of place by the mob and various people throw water from plastic bottles in her direction. Others around her are filming the scene with their mobile phones. The tourist was finally able to move away from the crowd, accompanied by the security staff of the archaeological site

Her hat is knocked out of place by the mob and various people throw water from plastic bottles in her direction.

Others around her are filming the scene with their mobile phones. 

The tourist was finally able to move away from the crowd, accompanied by the security staff of the archaeological site.

The video gathered mixed responses on social media. 'Good, I'm glad this was the outcome cause people really are disrespectful,' one person said. 'Few things more embarrassing than entitled tourists,' said another

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) issued a statement a few hours after the video was released on social media, noting that the monument had not been damaged. 

Fines for climbing the temple can range from $2569 to $5138, depending on the damage caused to the structure. 

Article 47 of the Federal law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historic Monuments states that a punishment of one to ten years in prison can be handed out if a person is found liable. 

According to the Latin America news outlet MercoPress, INAH authorities have yet to report the incident. 

The video gathered mixed responses on social media. 

'Good, I'm glad this was the outcome cause people really are disrespectful,' one person said.

'Few things more embarrassing than entitled tourists,' said another.

Others went online to defend her.

'They still have no right to touch her,' one person argued.

Chichen Itza is a Unesco World Heritage site spanning back more than 1,000 years and drawing in more than 2,500,000 annual visitors. 

In 2021 a tourist climbed up the steps of the temple before being taken away by authorities.