Tikal

Deep in the lush lowlands of Guatemala’s Petén Basin lies Tikal, one of the greatest urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya world. Surrounded by dense tropical rainforest, the city rose to prominence around 400 BCE and flourished for nearly 1,300 years. Its strategic position allowed Tikal to dominate trade routes and political alliances across Mesoamerica, linking it to distant civilizations such as Teotihuacan in central Mexico. By the Classic Period (200–900 CE), Tikal was a thriving...