(Guatemala)
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 BC, Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic Period, c. 200 to 900 AD.
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 CE.
Following the end 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.
In 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Palace
Temple V
My travelling companions for the third segment of my Central American trip.
Back row ... Sophia - our tour-leader from Guatemala, Robert (Calgary, Canada ... my room-share), Flavio & Nina (Switzerland), Luke (Sydney).
Front row ... with Kelsey (Melbourne), Hayley (Newcastle), Vanessa (Switzerland), Lydia (Germany), Tania (Melbourne).
The royal bed in the palace
Overlooking the Plaza
Temple II. 38 metres high, we climbed it later, hoping to see the full moon rise.
Temple III, 55 metres tall.
Temple IV, 65 metres tall, the highest pyramid at Tikal. We climbed it to see the sunset.
The views from the top of Temple IV
Sunset from the top of Temple IV
With Sophia, our tour-leader on top of temple IV.
On top of Temple II.
We were hoping to see the full moon rise. Unfortunately it was too cloudy.
On my 44-day Central American tour, I spent one night on an overnight bus, one on a plane and one in a tent.
The rest were in either hotels or guest houses.
The one night was in a tent at Tikal National Park.
My orange tent is partly hidden by the bush.
Like the other Mayan sites that I visited on my Central American trip in 2019, Tikal was a great highlight.
