Motul is a small city in Yucatán state, Mexico, located some 44 km east of Mérida, Yucatán at . The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. In 2003 the population of Motul was estimated at about 20,000 people.

History

Motul was a site of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization, said to have been founded in the 11th century by a priest named Zac Mutul. The city was ruled by the Pech family. After the fall of Yucatán's central government in Mayapan in the 1440s, the Pech ruled a regional kingdom called Cehpech with its capital in Motul.

With the Spanish conquest of Yucatán, Conquistador Francisco de Montejo made Motul a Spanish colonial town. Motul has a Spanish colonial era Franciscan monastery with interestin frescos.

Motul was granted the status of a city on 22 February 1872.

Motul was the birthplace of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, a former Governor of Yucatán who was assassinated in 1924. In his honor, the formal name of the city of Motul was changed to Motul de Carrillo Puerto.

Cuisine

Motul is known as the place of origin of the popular dish huevos motuleños, eggs on tortillas with black beans and cheese, often with other ingredients such as ham, peas, and salsa picante.

There is also Pollo motuleño, a chicken dish cooked with orange juice, achiote and plantains.