(
The National Park does not
have an official web site )
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TIKAL Also,
see Tikal Travel Guide. In the main area sometimes
called The
Ruins area contains about 24 sq. kms. About 80% of the structures are
still unexcavated.
Only 40
per cent of the ruins within the park have been mapped. There are 220
square
miles of jungle all around the ceremonial center. The
first restorations was done by Access to the ruins area is by foot only, all cars must remain at the parking lot, and handicapped people requiring assistance can get special permits at the park headquarters office. Archaeologists
tell us Since
a Spanish governor rediscovered the ruins of this vast city in 1848.
Archaeologists from all over the world have been excavating. Some
structures
are almost fully restored but the vast majority is high mounds with
stones and
lush growth of jungle trees and vegetation. Tikal Ruins are
located in
the middle of More Tikal Info is found in the visitor’s center. The center is located just before entering the trails that lead to the ruins. After entering the main entrance you will see a large model of the main ruins area showing some of the structures that once existed. The visitors center also houses one of two museums, which consists of carved stone monuments and many photos taken during the restoration in the 1950's and 60’s by the University of Pennsylvania. Also there is a guide service and information desk, and a restaurant overlooking the jungle. Various souvenir shops are located just beside the restaurant A
smaller and perhaps more interesting Museum housing some of Guide
Service for Good guides with license cost normally $50 for 1 to 4 persons. $10 per person extra up to a $80-$100 maximum. Some ask $10 per person if only 10 persons. Normally any size group can go for $100. If you join a group you may pay as little as $8 in some cases. If you are
in route to Best
to book from your hotel or go to the guide booth in the Visitor's
Center and get
the guide in turn, some of the license guides take turns so all have
work, but
many of the most popular guides work privately with different hotels or
tour
companies. Recommended to take: Lunch Drinking water. Camera and batteries. Good comfortable walking shoes Cap/Hat and sun protection Mosquito repellent Map (if you have one, but not necessary) Identification (copy of passport is OK) Rain protection Binoculars Cell phones work on top of some temples Flash light to look in some ruins underground A few of the wildlife species commonly seen in the park include: howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra), spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) and ocellated turkeys (Agriocharis ocellata). Coatimundi (Nasua narica) the crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii), Grey Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) Agouti y Agouti Paca. Others not as common are jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor) and ocelots (Leopardus wiedii), Margay (Lepardus wiedii), Red Brocket Deer (Mazama american). Plus more than 285 bird species Threats to the park include forest fires, illegal extraction of forestry products, and poaching. Also due to number of personnel and the number of employes available to patrol the natural and tourist areas, there are not enough park guards to adequately protect the area. All Tikal parks personnel ( varies from 50-60) work for the Institute of Anthropology and History (IDAEH). The land between the biosphere and the park is controlled by National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP)and is only for special use. Tikal park is bordered on the southwest by the San Miguel la Palotada Protected Biosphere (El Zotz). On the east it is bordered by the National Monuments of Yaxhá, Nakum, Naranjo and to the northwest by a biological corridor that leads towards El Mirador and Río Azul National Park. On the southern edge it is protected by a buffer zone. The multi-use zone of the Maya Biosphere Reserve borders it to the north. For lodging near Tikal For more Tikal Info check http://www.famsi.org/research/tikal/index.html Tikal History Tikal National Park The name Tikal, 'place of the voices' in Itza Maya, is not the ancient name for the site but rather the name adopted shortly after its discovery in the 1840s. Inscriptions at the ruins refer to the central area of the ancient city as Yax Matul There are other different theories as to Tikal’s name, though it is generally considered to mean, “At the Reservoir”, reflecting the finding of water basins among the ruins. While splendid as the Maya ruins of Tikal are, only a small percentage have been excavated. Tikal is the largest excavated site among all the ruined Maya cities and is believed to be Guatemala's most prized cultural gem. For many visitors Tikal is both mystical, and magical. It puts one to thinking.. Rising above the jungle canopy, the great
Maya temples of
Tikal are among the tallest examples of Maya structures. Some of the
earliest
Maya ruins at Tikal date as far back as the 4th century BC, however
Tikal didn’t reach its zenith until some 500 years
later during the Maya Classic Era. Of Tikal’s 5 greatest Temples, the
highest at close to 70 mts. is
Temple 4 and reaches almost 230 feet high. An early morning view
looking east from the top Temple 4 you can see the tops of
Temples 3,2,1 and sunrise rising above the jungle.This view is the most
seeked photo in Tikal. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage
Sitesince 1979 , the Tikal Maya ruins attract curious investigators.
Visitors to
Guatemala
will find a variety of options for Tikal excursions that can be
arranged from
other main tourist areas. Most Tikal excursions start from the
nearby
town of Flores or the village of El Remate which lies between Flores
and Tikal. Best to plan at least 2 days to visit this site. Many
visitors It is
believed that in 1848
Ambrosio Tut, a “chiclero” (collector of the original chewing gum sap))
rediscover the site. Tut saw the
temples roof
combs in the distance through the tall trees and jungle growth.
He
quickly went to tell Modesto Mendez, the Governor of the Soon curious
travelers
and scholars started traveling from all over the world to see what had
been
discovered. Between 1956
to 1970, major
archaeological excavations by the University of Pennsylvania have
uncovered nearly
10 square miles of ruins. The Guatemalan government resumed
excavations in 1979, which they
continue with the help of the University of San Carlos
and the Institute of Anthropology and History. On going excavations are
almost continuous. Many
of the
remnants of Tikal reveal the culture of this ancient city in Guatemala.
The great temples are just the beginning. The Maya excelled in many
different fields, and testaments of their achievements throughout their
area. The Maya used different forms of expression in recording life. They had a complex form of writing that was found inscripted on the stele and altars that dot most of the sites. Pictures depicted events and the beliefs of the time. Carved in the lintels, etched in the stone steps,and covering various walls throughout the temples and tombs, the life, the religion, and the times of the Maya were recorded. The Maya were obsessed with astronomy and the idea of time. The fact that they employed the concept of zero in their number system helped them make great strides in this realm. They knew that the earth year was a little more than 365 days, and invented an incredibly accurate calendar that predicted the solstices of the year. The Maya applied the same zeal to studying other worlds and were quite accurate in determining the average year on Venus, and other planets. They named periods of time, (a twenty year span was known as the katun), placed great significance on these cycles by building temples and stele marking the conclusions of these Maya "katuns". Tikal gradually became more important from the Late Pre classic. The civilization was at its peak from 700-850 AD, Tikal and Calakmul were the greatest and believed to be the most heavily populated cities of the Maya civilization during the Classic Period. Its decline was apparently due to internal fighting which led to the downfall of the civilization's leading cities. In the Pre Classic period of the Maya, before the rise of Tikal the impressive ruins of Mirador and others are found NW of Tikal in Guatemala’s Petén region. A very interesting article about the Maya and Tikal: The Fall of The Maya, New Clues Revealed An informative and descriptive blog post about visiting Tikal: Bicycle Touring The Americas - Tikal
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View
of
temple 4 from pyramid in 