The Tikal National Park, in the Peten region in Northern Guatemala, comprises an area of 222 mi² or 576 km². The park contains some of the most fascinating archaeological remains of the ancient Maya Civilization. Tikal is the ruins of an ancient city found in a rainforest. Ambrosio Tut, a gum-sapper, first saw Tikal in the mid nineteenth century, from the top of a sapodilla tree, obrserving various temple's roof combs in the distance and reported the ruins to a La Gaceta, a Guatemalan newspaper, which named the site Tikal. The Berlin Academy of Science's Magazine then republished the report in 1853. Archaeologist and treasure hunters then began visiting the forest. Today tourism to the site may help protect the rainforest.
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| Temple I or Great Jaguar around 1900's |
It is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin, situated in the department of El Petén. Tikal National Park in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya. Though monumental architecture at the site dates back as far as the 4th century B.C; Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic Period, ca.200 to 900 A.D. During this time, the city dominated much of the Maya region politically, economically, and militarily, while interacting with areas throughout Mesoamerica such as the great metropolis of Teotihuacan in the distant valley of Mexico. There is evidence that Tikal was conquered by Teotihuacan in the 4th century A.D. Following the en of the Late Classic Period, no new major monuments were built at Tikal and there is evidence that elite palaces were burned. These events were coupled with a gradual population decline, culminating with the site's abandonment by the end of the 10th century.
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| Great plaza, Temple I and North of acropolis |
Architectural groups(some)
The great Plaza
The great plaza lies at the core of the site; it is flanked on the east and west sides by two great temple Pyramids. on the north side its is bordered by the North Acropolis and on the south by the Central Acropolis.
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| The great plaza |
The Central Acropolis
The Central Acropolis is a palace complex just south of the Great plaza.
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| Central Acropolis |
The North Acropolis
Together with the Great Plaza inmediately to the south, is one of the most studied architectural groups in the Maya area; the Tikal Project excavated a massive trench accross the complex, thoroughly investigating its construction history. It is a complex group eith construction befinning in the Preclassic Period, around 350 B.C. It developed into a funerary complex for the ruling dynasty of the Classic Period, with each additional royal burial adding new temples on top of the older structures.
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| North Acropolis |
After A.D. 400 a row of tall Pyramids was added to the earlier Northern Platform, which measured 100 by 80 metres(330 by 260 ft), gradually hiding it from view. Eight temple pyramids were built in the 6th century A.D, each of them had an elaborate roofcomb and a stairway flanked by mask of the gods. By the 9th century A.D. 43 stelae and 30 altars had been erected in the North Acropolis; 18 of these monuments were carved with hieroglyphic texts and royal portraits. The North Acropolis continued to receive burials into the Postclassic Period.
It is found next to Temple V. It Was built upon a large basal platform that covers an area of more than 20,000 m²(220,000 ft²).
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| South Acropolis |
The Plaza of the Seven Temples
The Plaza of the Seven Temples is to the west of the South Acropolis. It is bordered on the east side by a row of nearly identical temples, by palaces on the south and west sides an by an unusual triple ballcourt on the north side.
The Mundo Perdido
The mundo perdido is to the west of the Plaza of the Seven Temples. It is the largest ceremonial complex dating from the Preclassic period at Tikal. The complex was organized as a large E-Group consisting of a pyramid aligned with a platform to the east that supported three temples. The Mundo Perdido complex was rebuilt many times over the course of its history. By 250-300 A.D. its architectural style was influenced by the great metropolis of Teotihuacan in the Valley of Mexico, including the use fo the talud-tablero form.
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| Mundo Perdido Complex, Pyramid 54 |
During the Early Classic Period the Mundo Perdido became one of the twin foci of the city, the other being the North Acropolis. From 250- 378 A.D. it may have served as the royal necropolis. The Mundo Perdido Complex was given its name by the archaeologists of the University of Pennsylvania; it is centered upon the Lost World Pyramid and a small platform to the west of it.
Structures
There are thousands of ancient structures at Tikal and only a fraction of these have been excavated, after decades of archaeological work. The most prominent surviving buildings include six very large pyramid, labelled Temples I-VI, each of which support a temple structure on their summits. Some of these pyramids are over 60 m high(200 ft). They were numbered sequentially during the early suver of the site. It is estimated that each of these major temples could have been built in as little as two years.
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| Temple I and II |
Temple I
Temple one, also known as the Temple of Ah Cacao or Temple of the Great Jaguar. Is a funerary pyramid dedicated to Jasaw Chan K'awil, who was entombed in the structure in 734 A.D., the pyramid was completed around 740-750 A.D. The temple rises 47 m(154 ft)high. The massive roofcomb that topped the temple was originally decorated with a giant sculpture of the enthroned king, although little of this decoration survives. The tomb of the king was discovered by Aubrey Trick of the University of Pennsylvania in 1962. Among items recovered from the Late Classic Tomb were a large collection of inscribed human and animal bone tubes and strips with sophisticated scenes depiting deities and people, finely carved and rubbed with vermilion, as well as jade and shell ornaments and ceramic vessels filled eith offerings of food and drink.
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| Temple I, clearing the talus from slope of substructure north of North Stairwall, March 1958. |
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| Temple I |
The shrine at the summit of the pyramid has three chambers, each behind the next, with the doorways spanned by wooden lintels fashioned from multiple beams. The outermost lintels were carved, some of the beams were removed in the 19th century and their location is unknown, while others were taken to moseums in Europe.
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| View of Temple II from inside the chamber of the Temple I |
Temple II
Temple II is also known as the "Temple of the Mask", in was built around 700 A.D. and stands 38 m(125 ft) high. Like other major temples at Tikal, the summit shrine had three consecutive chambers with the doorways spanned by wooden lintels, only the middle of which was carved. The temple was dedicated to the wife of Jasaw Chan K'awil, although no tomb was found.
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View of
Temple II from Structure 5D-34 in the North Acropolis, looking Southwest, 1961.
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The queen's portrait was carved into the lintel spanning the doorwawy of the summit shrine. One of the beans from this lintel is now in the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Temple III
Temple III, also known as the Temple of the Jaguar Priest. Was the last of the great pyramids to be built at Tikal. It stood 55 m(180 ft) tall and contained an elaborately sculpted but damaged roof lintel, possibly showing Dark Sun engaged in a ritual dance around 810 A.D. The temple shrine possesses two chambers.
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| Temple III |
Temple IV
Is the tallest temple-pyramid at tikal, measuring 70 m(230 ft) from the plaza floor level to the top of its roof comb. Temple IV marks the reign of Yik'in Chan Kawil and two carved wooden lintels over the doorway that leads into the temple on the pyramid's summit record a long count date (9.15.10.0.0) that corresponds to CE 741(shared 1994:169).Temple IV is the largest pyramid built anywhere in the Maya region in the 8th century, and as it currently stands is the tallest pre-columbian structure in the Americas although the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan may originally have been taller, as may have been one of the structures at El Mirador.
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| Temple IV |
Temple V
Stands south of the Central Acropolis and is the mortuary pyramid of an as yet unidentified ruled. The temple stands 57 m( 187ft) high, making it the second tallest structure at tikal. Only Temple IV is taller. The temple has been dated to about 700 A.D., in the Late Classic period, via radiocarbon analysis and the dating of ceramics associated with the structure places its construction during teh reign of Nun Bak Chak in the second half of the 7th century.
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| Temple V |
Temple VI
Is also known as the Temple of the Inscriptions and was dedicated in 766 AD. It is notable for its 12 m(39 ft) high roof-comb. Panels of hieroglyphs cover the back and sides of the roof-comb. The temple faces onto a plaza to the west and its front is unrestored.
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| Temple VI |
Information for visit to Tikal National Park
Tikal National Park is open daily
for visits from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Adult tickets for foreigners cost
150 GTQ (about $20 USD).
Children under 12 can enter Tikal
free of charge.
Visiting Uaxactun costs an
additional 50 GTQ.
If you sign up for a sunrise tour
and enter the park before 6:00 AM, the ticket fee is 250 GTQ.
Tickets purchased after 3:00 PM are
also valid for the next day.
Guatemalan citizens can enter for
free in the park on Sundays.
As of today, you can’t purchase
tickets online.
Notes:
*) Bring
plenty of bottled drinking water and sunscreen. The Peten has a tropical
climate similar to that of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Most northerners visit
during the dry season, which runs from October to May.
**) There are
also no ATM’s in Tikal so make sure to bring enough cash with you.
For more information
Pictures of excavation
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