The Temple of the Painted Niches is one of the first buildings the visitor will encounter upon entering the archaeological zone at Mayapan.
The temple sits over a squared platform reachable through central stairway. The walls of the temple are covered with murals representing the façades of five temples. These are painted in a trompe d’oïl (fool the eye) style, around five niches that symbolize the entryways to these temples. The entryways are perched over the heads of five serpents, each depicted with their mouth open.