Tikal, a Mayan city in Guatemala

Culture Add comments

The Mayan city of Tikal, located in the Peten region, was a major cultural and population centers of the Mayan civilization. The tomb of the possible founder of the dynasty Yax Ehb ‘Xook dating back 60 years, although it shows occupation from 600 BC C. according to the findings in the oldest part of town.

Tikal

Photography by kangotraveler

The name «Tikal» means «Place of Voices» or «Place of Tongues» in Maya, and was coined by Sylvanus Morley, his real name according to the hieroglyphic texts is Mutul or knot Mut Mutul Yax, referring to Ahaw Ku’hul hairstyle or maximum ruler.

Mainly flourished during the Classic Maya period, roughly between 200-850, after which no major monuments were built, some elite palaces were burned, and the population gradually declined until the site was abandoned in the late X. In the Central Acropolis Palace is a five stories high. We can also distinguish the Temple I, Great Jaguar or Temple of the Temple II and the Temple III.

Tikal, a Mayan city in Guatemala

Photography by Fernando Reyes Palencia

Great Temple of the Jaguar:

The main temple (also known as Temple I), which closes the plaza on the east side, is called the Great Temple of the Jaguar, with a total height of 55 m. It is thought that it was built around the year 700, and is the tomb of Hasaw cha’a Kawil, which restored the supremacy of Tikal on the other Mayan centers, successively defeating Waka, Caracol and Calakmul.

tikal, guatemala

Photography by clurr

Temple of the Masks:

The Temple II, known as Temple of the Masks or «Pyramid of the Moon, with a height of 50 m, close the large square on the west side and is the tomb of the wife of Hasaw cha’a Kawil. The North Acropolis to the right of these temples is a set of smaller pyramids were the tombs of the first Lords of Tikal.

A mask in Tikal

Photography by mtsrs

Temple of the High Priest:

The Temple III, or Temple of the High Priest, was the last to be built. D.C. 810 by Chi’taam, is the one with the crest finest and best preserved Mayan World.

Temple headed serpent:

Temple Temple IV or two-headed serpent, is the highest in the 64 m site was built by the son of Hasaw cha’a Kawil, Chac cha’a Yaxk’in took power on 12 December 734 this was considered the tallest building in the Pre-Columbian America, to the discovery of La Danta pyramid at El Mirador, with its 72 m high, is the tallest building in the Pre-Columbian America and the largest volume of construction in the Old World, with 2.8 million cubic meters.

Temple V:

Temple V, is the only pyramid on the site which has not discovered a tomb.

Temple of Inscriptions:

O The Temple of Inscriptions VI, named for the large text on the back, the longest of a Mayan temple, was commissioned by Chac Ca’an Yaxk’in ca.

National Park tikai:

The ruins of Tikal, as part of the Tikal National Park, were the first archaeological site to be declared a Heritage of Humanity in 1979, and likewise, the first Heritage Mixed (ecological and archaeological) of the world. The site can be visited by the public, every day of the year, a 76-km asphalt road connects with Flores Tikal, the largest city of Petén.

Tikal Main Center

Photography by Poldavo (Alex)

Tikal was used as the setting for the rebel base in the movie Star Wars and is the model of the Maya city in the Mel Gibson film, Apocalypto.

Travel to Tikal is the return to the past!

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Rural Lodging - Sitemap.xml
Entries RSS Comments RSS Acceder