Tikal

During the Maya civilization, the glorious city of Tikal thrived in what is now part of Guatemala. In the heart of the city were palaces and lofty pyramids topped with temples. The ancient site of Tikal was once home to an estimated 100,000 Maya.  Tikal declined as Maya civilization and the region suffered the mysterious collapse that marked the end of their classic period around AD 900,. Some possible noted reasons for the collapse of the great Maya cities like Tikal include environmental degradation, overpopulation, drought, and the long history of warfare in the Maya’s region.

Over many centuries, the vacated buildings of Tikal were repossesed by the jungle. Some structures have now been cleared and restored, but most of Tikal still lies underneath a canopy of tropical forest.

According to some scientist, Tikal was one of the greatest and most populated cities of the Mayan civilization, at its peak sustaining some 200,000 people within its 30 square miles. A fraction of Tikal’s more than 3,000 buildings have been excavated, allowing visitors to see temples, tombs, palaces, and religious monuments with hieroglyphic inscriptions. Tikal is a 50-year-old national park, and a UNESCO natural and cultural World Heritage site since 1979, it is a national symbol with well-established protection measures.