ACROPOLIS

The Acropolis consists of a series of monuments whose construction has moved from the foundation of Copán to the fall of the last dynasty. This space was only accessible to the king and his court and served mainly as a place of political meetings. Religious sacrifices were also practised there. The first structures of the Acropolis were designed by the first king. To build a temple, first of all, we created a foundation on which the stone blocks were posed. In each new dynasty, the old temple was partially or completely destroyed, and new constructions were édifiait on the old foundations. Generally, king was buried in the foundations of a temple or palace that he had built during his reign.

The buildings we see today were ordered by the last king of the dynasty, Yax Pasaj. His tomb is located in the pyramid of Temple 18, which was unfortunately ransacked.

The Acropolis is organized around two courses - Western Plaza and Eastern Plaza - separated by Temple 16 in the centre. A small cemetery (Conjunto del Cementerio, not to be confused with the Conjunto de las Sepulturas, 3 km northeast) is attached to the south.

Temple 16. In the centre of the Acropolis, observe the temple 16. This monument, which according to archaeologists, served to sacrifice human sacrifices, was also a place of devotion for the ancestors. It is now famous because it is within its foundations that the Rosalila temple has been beautifully preserved.

Altar Q. Opposite this building, on the western square, is the most important part of the site, the altar Q (altar Q in Spanish), the original of which was moved to the museum for conservation purposes. On the altar sides, the history of the sixteen dynasties at Copán is represented by the figure of the kings sitting on their names. On the west side, observe the two kings sitting face to face: on the left, the first King K'inich Yax K'uk'Mo symbolically passes power to the last King Yax Pasaj. Note the fantastic symbols and animals that give the monument a profoundly religious character.

Stele P. At the north of altar Q, Stele P represents the eleventh king, Serpent Smoking. It is the oldest stele in Copán. It was moved to the th century of its original location, for reasons that remain unknown.

Temple 11. Just north of this stele, you can observe Temple 11 or Temple of Inscriptions, which commemorates the accession to the throne of Yax Pasaj. Ceremonies and rituals were celebrated there by the king for his court. You can see the platform formed by the stairs where the spectators took place.

Tunnels. In the court is. So frankly, this visit is not necessary unless you want to know the site as a whole. Only a few corridors are open to the public on the 4 km currently known under the Acropolis. Archaeologists discovered older Maya structures as well as tombs of bosses or prominent characters. The first tunnel called «Des» (under the structure 19) allows for former latrines and Tombe tomb to be seen; The second, says De (under Temple 16), discovers the temple of origin with stucco, but you can see little.

Templo Rosalila. It is possible to see the ruins of the temple Rosalila in one of the tunnels (but which are really very expensive for what one can see). We recommend instead to visit the museum of sculptures to appreciate his magnificent reply. The original was found by accident under the structure of Temple 16 in June 1989. This temple, built in honour of the tenth king of Copán, has a developed stone structure: 13 m in height spread over 3 floors, all covered with painted stucco. The first level sculptures show us a heavenly bird, the famous quetzal, whose mouth opens the sun king's figure. The rest of the temple is dominated by the representation of a gigantic mask: the monster Huitz. This temple would have been built for religious purposes and the king would have made sacrifices in order to communicate with his ancestors.

Tunnel des Jaguars. From the eastern square, or «place des Jaguars», called so because of the representation of two cats retaining the entrance of a staircase for centuries, you will find, on the one hand, the Jaguars tunnel, on the other, Temple 22. The tunnel of the Jaguars allows to observe beautiful sculptures and vestiges of what could have been latrines.

Temple 22, considered the «Sacred mountain», contains several halls that symbolize the Maya cosmos. It is believed that the king made many rituals and sacrifices.

Popol Nah. Next to this temple is the "Popol Nah" or "House of the people" (structure 22 A). The king met with his court to discuss questions concerning the fate of his people.

If you challenge the eye of the jaguars and climb the stairs, you will reach a platform from which you have an exceptional view of the Ball Game.