The 12 day Guatemala circuit (Day 9) - The archeological site of Tikal -The 2nd of April 2008

The ancient Mayan ruins at Tikal National Park, considered one of the world's premier archeological reserves are surrounded by the exotic luxuriance of the tropical rain forest. Upon entering the park there is a huge Ceiba tree, the national tree of Guatemala and a sacred one for the Mayas.

As we kept on walking towards the Main Plaza we reached the Twin Pyramid complex Q dating back to 771 A.D. and having been erected under the rule of Yax Nuun Ayiin II, with plain stellas and autels in front of each of them, said to have been used to celebrate the end of Katun (period of twenty years) and the begining of the new one.

 Twin Pyramid - Complex Q - North enclosure

Twin Pyramid - Complex Q - North building

Stella 22 representing the ruler C during the celebration  rituals of  the end of katun

We then reached the North Acropolis,  a group of stairs built on top of each other at various periods, the first of which were built at around 200 B.C.

 

 Giant mask U4-A - Temple 5D-33-rd depicting a long-nosed God

Temple I or Pyramid of the Grand Jaguar, the funerary shrine of Jasaw Chan K'awil, built after his death and considered an icon of classic Maya achitecture.

Temple II or the Masks' Temple, built around 700 A.D., is among the best restored temples. It is built in three regular terraces linked by a tier. On the top part a huge stucco mask can be seen.

Stela 10, whose person's profile has been eroded by the time was erected around 550 A.D. (left). Stela 16 depicts a igh dignitary of Tikal dinasty (right)

 

Pyramid of the Lost World, which is said to have begun as a small astronomical viewing platform which faced three structures to its east which marked in turn the position of the rising sun at the Spring Solstice (North building), the Equinox (central building) and the Winter Sostice (South building).

 Temple IV, reaching a height of 65 metres is one of the tallest and most massive pre-Colombian structures in the Americas. It was built by ruler Yaxhin Chaan K'awil circa 748 A.D.

Temple V

Temples seen  through the jungle foliage

I must confess that what I admired the most was the grandeur of the whole ensembleof plazas and monuments and whether there is some truth in the fact that Tikal was established as a centre of positive energy, still being used by shamans and spiritual guides ... I don't know,  but I felt "blessed " by the Mayan Gods as I left ...