Tikal in Guatemala, El Peten

Introduction :
Tikal is located in the El Peten department of Guatemala and is one of the largest and most important archaelogical sites of the Maya civilization. Tikal is the capital and home to a conquering state that was one of the most powerful kingdoms during the ancient Maya times. Today, the Maya ruins of Tikal form part of the Tikal National Park and was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Tikal is famous for their archaeological monuments and Maya pyramids and a breath taking view of the ancient acropolis

Panorama of the Great Plaza and the North Acropolis
Image attribution to Uspn @ Wiki

Ancient tree around the area
Image attribution to hector garcia @ Flickr

Closer look at the great plaza
Image attribution to hector garcia @ Flickr

Looking downards from the great plaza
Image attribution to hector garcia @ Flickr

History :
Traces of human history in Tikal dates back to 1000 BC where early agriculture sites were discovered and Mamom ceramics dating back to 700 Bc were also found there. Maya architectural monuments were built during 400 BC. The 14th king of Tikal, Chak Tok Ich’aak built a palace around the region during 300 AD which later became the core of the Acropolis until the fall of the Maya civilization during the 9th century causing the city to be abandoned. Tikal was first documented in European history by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes in 1525 but expeditions to the ruins only began in the 1850s guided by the locals who never forgot about Tikal.

Large stone mask at one of the temples
Image attribution to Uspn @ Wiki

The North Acropolis from above
Image attribution to Peter_Andersen @ Wiki

The famous Jaguar temple on its own
Image attribution to jungle_boy @ Flickr

Getting there :
The nearest airport to Tikal is the Mundo Maya International Airport (FRS) which is 45 km away from Tikal and is located in the city of Flores and in the suburb of Santa Elena.