Maya Site of Copan, Honduras
The ruins of what was once one of the most important cities of the Maya civilization
The Great Plaza (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
The Dynastic era, also known as the Classic period, was Copan’s time of greatness. Lasting for 400 years, from 427 to 822, it was during this time that its temples were built and its stelae, which are stone monoliths representing kings, were erected.
Preclassic sculpture (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
The first humans to settle in the Copan Valley arrived around 1500 BC and are thought to have had links to Southern Mexico. A cemetery from that time has been discovered, as have pre-classic era sculptures, such as this one (pictured).
Censer lid representing Yax Kuk Mo (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
In 427, a noble Maya warlord called Yax Kuk Mo arrived at Copan, or OxWitik, as it was known in those times. He founded a dynasty of rulers that developed Copan into one of the major Maya cities of the Classic period.
Altar L, the last carved monument of Copan (822) (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
Altar L, the last carved monument of Copan (822), depicts Yax Pasah in the underworld (right), transferring power to a would-be successor (left).
The Copan civilization collapsed in 822, just two years after the death of its sixteenth ruler, Yax Pasah. It is believed that the main factors that contributed to its collapse were overpopulation, drought and military conflict.
The Hieroglyphic Stairway (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
Completed in 755 by the fifteenth king, the Hieroglyphic Stairway is the most impressive of all the monuments of Copan.
The 20m-high staircase is carved with more than 2000 glyphs that recount the history of Copan’s rulers, including their dates of accession and death, as well as defining events from each one’s time as ruler.
The Ball Court (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
Completed in 738, the Ball Court of Copan is the best preserved court from that time, and also one of the largest and most decorative.
The Ball Game was a ritual ceremony where the players, without using their hands and feet, had to prevent a rubber ball from falling onto the ground. The ball represented the sun and the ground symbolized Xibalba, the Maya underworld.
Altar Q (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
Altar Q commemorates the symbolic transfer of power from the founder of the dynasty, Yax Kuk Mo (centre left), to the sixteenth ruler, Yax Pasah (centre right). The other 14 kings are present as witnesses, seated around the sides of the monument in chronological order.
The façade of the Margarita temple (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
The Margarita temple contained the body of the wife of Yax Kuk Mo. A kuk (quetzal) and a mo (scarlet macaw) are depicted on the façade. The necks of these two birds are intertwined, expressing the name Kuk-Mo, in reference to the husband of the lady who was buried within.
The façade of the Rosalila temple (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
A celestial bird with the figure of the sun in its mouth can be seen on the façade of the Rosalila temple, which was discovered in the Acropolis. The bird has features of both the quetzal and the scarlet macaw, again in reference to the name of the first ruler of Copan.
Stela of the thirteenth king (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
The Great Plaza, which may have been used to host large-scale social events, contains 15 stelae of the rulers of Copan.
Most of these stelae represent the thirteenth king, Waxaklahun-Ubah-K'awil, who presided over Copan at its peak, between 695 and 738. His tragic death, at the hands of his vassal, the king of Quirigua, marked the beginning of the decline of Copan.
Façade of a temple with protruding puma heads (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
A temple which was discovered in the mountains celebrates the twelfth king. The puma heads that protrude from its façade, like most of the imagery relating to this king, point to a Central Mexican influence.
Façade of the Popol Nah temple (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
The Popol Nah (House of the Braid) was the meeting place of the nine members of the King’s Counsel, who were selected from the three most important lineages and were all relatives of the ruler. The three-stranded braid may symbolize the power-sharing union of the three lineages.
Stone censer with a bat head (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
This stone censer has a lid which is in the form of a bat’s head. The lower part of the censer, which forms the body of the bat, is decorated with cacao pods. Copan was a producer of cacao seeds, and beverages made with cacao were among the favorites of the Maya elite.
Aquatic bird (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
A high-relief sculpture of an aquatic bird holding a fish in its beak is the most astonishing example of the Copan artists’ skills. It was discovered under the Hieroglyphic Stairway.
Bacab head (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
The Bacabs, also known as Pauahtun, were four brothers who were believed to be holding up the sky, each one at a corner of the world. They are represented as old men, with water lilies tied to their foreheads.
Scarlet macaw (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
For the Maya people, the scarlet macaw personified the sun and, in particular, the rainbow that linked the sun to the earth. There are 30 representations of the scarlet macaw in the Ball Court, demonstrating the close association of the Ball Game with the sun.
Dancing jaguar in the underworld (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
The jaguar, Balam, was a symbol of power which was connected with the underworld and personified the night sun. Rulers associated themselves with this revered animal, incorporating it into their name and wearing its pelt as clothing.
The Sculpture Museum (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
The Sculpture Museum contains reconstructions of the original façades of Copan’s temples along with a collection of its most valuable sculptures. The centerpiece of the museum is a full scale reproduction of the Rosalila temple.
Maya Site of Copan (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
Copan (1980) by Maya Site of CopanUNESCO World Heritage
An astronomical observatory has been discovered near the site, at the top of a hill from which one can see both the modern village and the cultural landscape of the ancient city. The observatory was abandoned around the year 650, after the collapse of one of its main components.
This exhibit was created by the Instituto Hondureño de Antropología e Historia (IHAH): https://ihah.hn/
More on the Maya Site of Copan and World Heritage: whc.unesco.org/en/list/129/
Photos: IHAH
