Tikal

:This article is about the ruined city. For more uses of the word Tikal, see Tikal (disambiguation).

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Tikal is the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization. It is located in the Peten region of Guatemala.

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Tikal was one of the major cultural and population centers of the Maya civilization. Monumental architecture was built here as early as the 4th century BC. The city was at its height in the Maya Classic Period, approximately 200 AD to 850 AD, after which no new major monuments were built, some of the palaces of the elite were burned, and the population gradually declined until the site was abandoned by the end of the 10th century. The name "Tikal" means "Place of Voices" or "Place of Tongues" in Maya, which may be an ancient name for the city, although the ancient hieroglyphs usually refer to it as Mutal or Yax Mutal, meaning "Green Bundle", and perhaps metaphorically "First Prophecy".

Maya civilization: :This article is about the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. See Maya people for a discussion of the modern Maya. For other meanings of the word Maya, see Maya (disambiguation)...

Peten: REDIRECT Petén...

Guatemala: :For the city, see Guatemala City....

Tikal related Images and Photos (experimental)

Scarlet Macaw (Ara Macao) Tikal National Park Guatemala Central America

The Great Plaza at Tikal Archeological Site.

Temple II Great Plaza Tikal UNESCO World Heritage Site Guatemala Central America

Ruins of an Old Temple Tikal Guatemala