Tikal

Tikal, located in the northern Peten region of Guatemala in Central America was one of the largest city in the ruins of the Mayan civilization and is now an important tourist center. It was rediscovered in 1848 by Modesto Méndez and Ambrosio Tut.

Tikal represent one of the most impressive architectural achievements of the Maya civilization. It has five imposing pyramids(200 ft. in height). Constructions include temples, shrines, ceremonial platforms, terraces, religious monuments with hieroglyphic inscriptions, dwellings, causeways, plazas, most interconnected with aqueducts, and ball courts. The Temple of the Grand Jaguar, the Temple of the Inscriptions, the North Acropolis of King Moon Double Comb and the courtyards of the Great Plaza are remarkable. The Great Plaza has two main pyramids facing one another.

Not far from Calakmul, the largest city in the Mayan world, was it's rival. As Professor Peter Mathews says: Tikal and Calakmul hated each other's guts, fought wars, captured each other's kings and more to the point they generated alliances around them. Uaxactún is another maya site close to Tikal almost with the same size and importance.

Tikal, as one of the archaeological wonders of the world, is grouped with luminaries such as Machu Picchu, Petra, Calakmul, Chichen Itza and the Great Wall of China. In 1979 UNESCO declared the site a Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

By the 10th century Tikal was completely deserted.

See also

Jaina

External links

• Tikal National Park
• THE ANCIENT MAYA
• Tikal photos