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We travelled from San Pedro Sula to the ruins at Copan. Like Tikal in
Guatemala, it was once an important city of the Mayan Empire. |
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At its zenith the City would have supported 20,000 people. Only
the temples at the centre of the city remain as the residential
buildings were made from wood and have therefore long since decayed. |
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| Copan is famous for its intricately carved stone stelae
which depict the Kingdom's rulers. This one is King 18 Rabbit who
ruled between 695 and 738 AD. |
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Temples were built by each new ruler when he came into power. If the
site of an old temple was considered auspicious the new temple would be
built over it leaving the original in place. |
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Tunnels lead into the walls of some of the temples revealing earlier
structures inside. |
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Important Mayan cities had their own emblems. The main emblem of
Copan was the leaf-nosed bat. |
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The people of Copan thought of the world as the body of a crocodile floating
on water, its four corners held up by gods known as Pauahtuns, one of whom
is depicted in
this sculpture. |
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Macaw sculpture. |