- Location: Copan, Honduras
- Length: 30 m
Copan is one of the oldest Mayan cities. For 400 years he was the political and religious center of this civilization. Copan is located in the west of Honduras , and it is here that the hieroglyphic staircase is located - its most famous landmark .
What is a ladder?
This ladder was created during the reign of the fourteenth King of Copan, who became famous as a patron of the arts. If his father turned the city into an economic center, then K'ak Joplaj Chan K'awiil built an unusual architectural structure in 755 AD that transformed Copan, made it beautiful and unusual.
The hieroglyphic staircase is 30 m high. Each of its steps is covered with hieroglyphs, the total number of which is 2000 characters. This landmark is impressive not only by the fine carvings on the steps, but also by the fact that the hieroglyphs tell about the history of the city and the life of each of its rulers.
The researchers concluded that most of these signs on the Hieroglyphic Staircase of Copan are the dates of the life and death of its kings, their names, and important events in the history of the Mayan civilization.
To date, most of the landmarks have been reconstructed, and only 15 lower staircases remain untouched. Thanks to them, it became possible to determine the true age of the structure.
Modern archaeologists managed to find out that the names of 16 rulers are listed here, starting with Yax K'uk Moh on the bottom step and ending with the date of death of the king, who in history is known as the "Rabbit of the 18th", on the top of the stairs. On the life of the 12th ruler, K'ak Uti Ha K'awiil, a special accent is made - he is buried in a pyramid under the stairs.
In 1980, the hieroglyphic staircase of Honduras was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
How to get there?
From the capital of the state, Tegucigalpa , it can be reached in 5 hours by car on the highway CA-4 or CA-13, moving in a western direction.
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