Copan Ruins - Honduras
Copan is the southernmost of the ancient cities of the vast Mayan civilization that flourished in the Classic Period of 300 to 900 AD. Today, national boundaries put it in northern Honduras, some 12 kms from the border with Guatemala. It is a wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The ruins are on the outskirts of the old Mayan and colonial village of Copan Ruinas, which has a population about 6000. The terrain is hilly and forested. The town is quaint with cobblestone streets and white adobe buildings with orange roof tiles. There are more horses than cars in town. The main taxi transport around the place is by cute "put-put" 3-wheeler vehicles.
Although the ancient ruins are the main attraction, the Copan Valley provides the tourist with many additional activities such as horse riding, bird watching, hot springs, visits to the local Mayan communities and a coffee farm. Also, it is a favorite place to learn Spanish, buy textile handicrafts and local products, such as coffee and cigars.
The Kings of Copan make the House of Windsor seem very boring and commonplace - what exotic names they have! King Great Sun Lord Quetzal Macaw was the founder of the city, followed later by King Waterlily Jaguar, Moon Jaguar and revered Smoke Imix (Jaguar) who was a wise and powerful king and built Copan into a military stronghold around 690 AD.
Smoke Shell, the 15th king had commissioned Copan's most famous edifice, the Hierographic Stairway which climbs up a massive pyramid. The final touches to this amazing Mayan city were done by Smoke Shell's successor, Yax Pac (Rising Sun), who reigned from 763 to 820 AD when the population peaked at 20,000. After the death of Yax Pac the city soon declined into oblivion. By 1200 AD the city was deserted and reclaimed by the jungle.
It is not known for sure why this happened but one can speculate. Factors of importance may have been over population, depletion of the soils and dwindling food supply, infectious diseases, and drought.
It was not until 1841 that an archeologist, John Stephens, brought the ruins of Copan to world attention. Excavation and restoration of the site began and continues to this day.
Why is Copan so special?
The jungle setting is superb. Massive trees still grow on the sides of temple pyramids, on walls and in the plazas. It is easy to imagine the site 100 years ago completely smothered by dense vegetation. Monkeys scuttle about and gaudy Macaw parrots watch the tourist unfazed.
An enormous amount of forest clearing has been done to achieve the present immaculate lawn setting of the major structures. Facades are cleaned of vegetation and protected from weathering by awnings. Tunnels are being dug into several structures to search out royal tombs and so piece together the history in more detail. Recently (1998) a treasure trove of pottery and jade ornaments was found in the tomb of King Yax Huh Mo, dated about 400 AD.
The lawn of the Great Plaza is dotted with intricately carved 3 meter high limestone statues, or stelae, which are stylized representations of Kings who ruled in the period 610 to 740 AD. What a pity Picasso never saw King 18-Rabbit in all his bizarre depictions!
Across the Ball Court is the famous Hieroglyphic Stairway leading up a major temple-pyramid. The 63 steps are ornamented by thousands of intricate carvings (glyphs), depicting the history of Copan. It is now protected from the elements by an extensive canvas awning which somewhat detracts from the aesthetics.
Overlooking the Great Plaza is the Temple of the Inscriptions where images of all the 16 kings of Copan are carved in bold relief, including Yax Pac its creator and final royal. What the tourist gets to see are the Principal Group of excavated structures within a 500 meter square area, securely fenced in. Beyond is 24 square kilometers of jungle with 3500 mounds containing ruins awaiting excavation and study. A museum block adjacent to the Visitors' Center explains all.
What amazes me is although the Copan Valley is known to have been inhabited from at least 1400 BC , that over a period of a few hundred years such a magnificent city could be created and flourish briefly, only to vanish swiftly beneath the jungle, like some exotic flower of human endeavor.
Further north on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula are Mayan cities that survived until the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century. The Spanish did not know of Copan because it was hidden by the jungle, safe from the ravages of colonists and adventurers.
Tourist Information:
The official website for Copan Ruinas is by the Chamber of Commerce and provides all the details for tourists regarding transport, accommodation, restaurants and local attractions. Your favorite Central America guide book is essential to take, so you that know where you are and have all the facts at your fingertips.
How to get to Copan Ruinas:
Luxury buses run from Guatemala City (5 hours), Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula (3 hours) all of which have international airports. Some tour operators run minibuses from the popular resort towns of Antigua and Panajachel in the Guatamalan western highlands. Domestic bus services are plentiful and cheap.
Finding suitable accommodation in Copan should be no problem. There are a dozen up-market hotels, a few of midrange and ample backpacker and hospedaje-type places. Consult the Copan website and your guide book. Stay a week and have a fantastic time!
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