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Valladolid (Valladolid)

Valladolid (Saki in Maya) is a city located in the eastern region of the Mexican state of Yucatán. It is the seat of Valladolid Municipality.

As of the 2020 census the population of the city was 56,494 inhabitants (the third-largest community in the state after Kanasín), and that of the municipality was 85,460.

The municipality has an areal extent of 945.22 km2 (364.95 sq mi) and includes many outlying communities, the largest of which are Popolá, Kanxoc, Yalcobá, and Xocén.

Valladolid is located approximately 170 km (105 mi) east of the state capital Mérida, 40 km (25 mi) east of Chichén Itzá, and 150 km (93 mi) west of Cancún.

On August 30, 2012, Valladolid became part of the Pueblo Mágico promotional initiative led by the Mexican tourism department.

Named after Valladolid, at the time the capital of Spain. The name derives from the Arabic name Balad al-Walid بلد الوليد, which means "city of al-Walid", referring to Al-Walid I. Valladolid in Yucatán was established by Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Montejo's nephew on May 27, 1543 at some distance from the current town, at a lagoon called Chouac-Ha in the municipality of Tizimín. However, early Spanish settlers complained about the mosquitos and humidity at the original location, and petitioned to have the city moved further inland.

On March 24, 1545, Valladolid was relocated to its current location, built atop a Mayan town called Zací or Zací-Val, whose buildings were dismantled to reuse the stones to build the Spanish colonial town. The following year the Maya people revolted, but the rebellion was suppressed with the support of additional Spanish troops from Mérida.

In 1705 there was a revolt by local Maya; the rebels killed a number of town officials who had taken refuge in the cathedral. When the revolt was suppressed, the cathedral was considered irreparably profaned, and was demolished. A new cathedral was built the following year that still exists; it was oriented to face north unlike most other Colonial churches in Yucatan which face east.

Valladolid had a population of 15,000 in 1840. In January 1847, the native Mayas rioted, killing some eighty whites and sacking their houses. After a Maya noble was shot by firing squad, the riot became a general uprising. It was led by Jacinto Pat, batab of Tihosuco and by Cecilio Chi of nearby Ichmul. The city and the surrounding region was the scene of intense battle during Yucatán's Caste War, and the Ladino forces were forced to abandon Valladolid on March 14, 1848, with half being killed by ambush before they reached Mérida. The city was sacked by the Maya rebels but was recaptured later in the war.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, Valladolid was the third largest and most important city of the Yucatán Peninsula, (after Mérida and Campeche). It had a sizable well-to-do Criollo population, with a number of old Spanish style mansions in the old city. Valladolid was widely known by its nickname The Sultana of the East.