It is often said that if Tikal were the New York City of the Mayan world, then Copán would be Paris. The ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Copán, located in Western Honduras and conveniently within a day´s journey of San Salvador, are not huge in size. Known for intricately carved sculptures, heiroglyphics, and awe-inspiring `stelae´ or prism-shaped statues with designs on all faces, the ruins boast some magnificent works of art. I saw some impressive temples, altars and even a ball court where mayans used to play a sport a little bit like basketball without hands (note that the losers of the game were sacrificed in front of the temples on the altars.) Also worthy of mention is the Temple of Rosalila - a temple so holy that it was buried intact when the residents decided to demolish previous Copán buildings to provide the foundation for newer ones. Today, underground tunnels lead to the very well-preserved temple.
This statue, now safely kept in the museum outside the actual ruins, is a great example of the impressive art found at Copán. Apparently it is thought to be one of the best-sculpted pieces ever found at a Mayan ruin.
And here is an example of a stela - it is carved on all sides including the top but my camera could only capture one of them. Try to zoom in to see details... though not sure if that´s possible on this blog. hmm...
The famous Heiroglyphic Stairway -- every brick of every step is a heiroglyph, the whole stairway details the history of the building and is the longest single inscription ever found from the ancient new world. This stairway was also revolutionary in the archaeological world. Along with other Copán findings, it helped to prove that many Mayan heiroglyphics were historical in nature and dealt with events that actually occured. Up until that point, it was believed that heiroglyphics described gods and religious stories, and that the Mayans were lead by a priestly caste. In fact, inscriptions are now understood to detail historical facts of the Copán dynasty including exact dates of ascensions to the throne, decisions made my emperors and chronicles of wars waged by the Mayan royalty, all according to their own calendar, which is more accurate than the Gregorian Calendar used today.
A window into the underworld? It sure was a great view to the next mountain chain. Note the skulls underfoot!
Lastly, I include a fun picture of myself. I visited a bird sanctuary which had an interactive area where I got to hold parrots! This was separate from the ruins, but also near the town where I was staying. (You would never guess that I like birds...)
