 | Copán Things To Do | Tips 11 - 20 of 83 |  |
Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (83) Although not much to look at this was the location of one of the more interesting things I discovered about the Mayan people during my trips to Copán. The ball court was the place where a game (seems to be a cross of soccer and volleyball) was played between the residents of Copán and the opposing team from another area in the Mayan kingdom. The loser of the game was sacrificed to please the gods!
Anyone for a game? Leave a Comment
|
Visiting Copán?
Read reviews about Copán Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
Your visit to the ruins of the ancient city Copan will start in the visitorscentre. Here you have to buy your ticket. In the visitorscentre (Centro de Visitantes) is a small exhibition of the site and its excavations. This exhibition gives the first impression of the impressive site.
Within 24sq km remains of 3450 structures have been found in the forest. The central archaeological site can be divided in five zones: the main plaza, the ball court, the hieroglyph stairs, the acropolis and the tunnels.
The admission to the site is 15 dollar. For visiting the tunnels you have to buy a separate ticket. In the visitorscentre you can also hire a guide. The site is open from 8am till 3.30pm Leave a Comment Directions: The ancient city Copan is 1km east of of the town Copan Ruinas. You can walk there in 20 minutes, taking the footpath (sendero peatonal) along the road.
|
 | |  |
Although this small museum in the town of Copan Ruinas does not look like much from the outside it is a very pleasant surprise for the wealth of artifacts inside. Leave a Comment Address: Main Plaza
|
The hieroglyphic stairway or Escalinata de los Jeroglificos is the most famous monument of the ancient site of Copan. On the 63 stairs the longest hieroglyphic text in Maya civilization is written in several thousands glyphs. It is like a genealogy tree. The stairway being the the entire western face of the pyramid Temple 26 is erected in 743 under King Smoke Shell. The stairway was initiated to record the dynastic history of the city.
When the stairway was discovered at the end of the 19th century there were only 15 stairs intact. During the reconstruction works in the 1930s, the blocks were mixed up, which makes it unlikely that the true meaning of the glyphs will ever be known. Nowadays the stairway is covered with a roof to be protected against the elelements. It's not allowed to climb the stairs except for archaeological survey.
Above the stairs are five sculptures representing 5 rulers. In the base of the stairway are stela M and an altar. Leave a Comment Directions: Southeast corner of the Plaza Central
|
| | |
If you have a close look you see many details in almost every corner of the Copan site. Usually I don't take a guide and like to walk around on my own, but this time I was happy to have listened to the advise of hiring a guide at the visitorscentre. He showed us many details and could give a lot of interesting explanations.
At the south side of temple 11 were many inscriptions and sculptures. At the first picture you can see the Monkey God of Xibalda, the underworld. On the floor in front of temple 11 one of the two markers is maybe used for celebrating ceremonies related to the aquatic underworld. The marker was covered with plastic, but our guide was allowed to remove it shortly to show us the sculptures (picture 2 and 3). Leave a Comment Directions: Copan, West Court
|
Visiting Copán?
Read reviews about Copán Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
The Gran Plaza is dotted with huge magnificently carved stelae depicting the rulers of Copan. Most of the stelae represent Eighteen Rabbit, Copan´s ´King of the Arts´(stela A, B, C, D, F, H and 4).
Stela A (731AD) has very deep carvings. Its sides has 52 glyphs including the emblem glyphs of the four great Mayan cities Copan, Palenque, Tikal and Calakmul which shows that Eighteen Rabbit saw his city as a pivotal power in the Mayan world.
Stela C has figures on both sides. One side is representing the young Eighteen Rabbit or the day. The other side is representing the old Eighteen Rabbit or the night. Stela H (730AD) looks to depict a queen rather than a king. Leave a Comment Directions: The Gran Plaza is at the northern end of the ancient site of Copan
|
The ball game was the center of life in the city. The Ball Court or Juego de Pelota in Copan is completed in 738AD. It is the second largest ball court in Central America and even the richest in decoration. The beautifully sculpted markers, three atop each sloping walls, have the shape of macaw heads. The central marker in the court is the work of King 18 Rabbit. Leave a Comment Directions: At the Plaza Central
|
In the West Court we had a close look at the wonderful altar Q with sculptures all around. The sculptures are representing the previous rulers of the Copan dynasty.
The altar is carved in 776 AD celebrating Yax Pasaj's accession to the throne in 763, being the last and 16th ruler in Copan. At the altar you can see the founder of the dynasty named Kinich Yax kuk Mo or the Great Quetzal Macaw passing a ceremonial torch to Yax Pahsaj Chan Yopat. All other rulers between these first and last ones are depicted around the altar, pointing to the portrait of Yax Pasaj receiving the torch. Leave a Comment Directions: Copan, West Court at the base of temple 16.
|
We entered the Acropolis of Copan at the West Court (Patio Occidental). At the northside of the West Court stands temple 11, having lots of sculptures. At the eastside the 30 m high temple 16 is dominating the Acropolis. It is the tallest structure at Copan, completed in 776AD. At the West Court we saw the first estela and altar with nice sculptures.
I was not only impressed by the temples and sculptures, but also by the trees which dominate the ruins with their huge roots. Leave a Comment Directions: southern part of the ancinet site Copan.
|
One of Copan's unique features is 72 step stairway coverd with intricate hierglyphics built by 18 Rabbit and his son Smoke Shell. The stairway was in ruins when discovered and has been rebuilt. However the rebuilding was not in original order to the meaning of the stairs has been lost. Leave a Comment
|
|
|
on March 27, 2003
on March 12, 2007
on May 7, 2008
