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Tikal  is the largest of the ruined ancient pre-Columbian Mayan cities, which flourished in 700 AD, located in the department of El Petén (Guatemala). Now part of Guatemalan's Tikal National Park, established in 1955, a UNESCO World Heritage Site very popular with tourists. The nearest major cities are Flores and Santa Elena, at a distance of about 30 kilometers.

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The territory of the city is about 6.5 square meters. km, most of which is covered by jungle. In the city center is the main square, surrounded by ancient buildings. The eastern and western parts of the main square are occupied by pyramids, on top of which are temples. In the southern part of the Maya Indians built the Central Acropolis. Between the eastern temple and the acropolis is a ball court.

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To the north of the square is the Northern Acropolis - a complex of various buildings (temples, altars, pyramids), which have a common large stone foundation. Stone stelae and altars are installed in rows on the square near the base of the acropolis. The northern acropolis is the birthplace of the Mutul kingdom. On its territory is buried the first ruler of Tikal - King Yash Eb Shook.

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Later, the center shifted four hundred meters further to Mundo Perdido ("Lost World"). The architectural complex includes 37 buildings built around a 32-meter Mayan pyramid - one of the oldest in the city. This pyramid of the "Lost World" is reminiscent of the pyramid that the Maya tribe built in the city of Teotihuacan, located a thousand kilometers from here in Mexico.

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The ruins are located in a lowland rainforest. Famous trees in Tikal Park include giant ceiba (Ceiba pentandra), sacred Mayan trees; tropical cedars (Cedrela odorata) and mahogany (Swietenia). As for fauna, agouti, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, turkeys, iguanas, toucans and green parrots live here in large numbers. It is said that jaguars and coats are sometimes found here.

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In 1848, the first scientific expedition was organized to explore the settlement, although the first mention of Spanish authors about the ruins of Tikal dates back to the XVII century. During the XIX - early XX centuries. there were several expeditions when drawings were made of bas-reliefs and inscriptions.
Employees of the University of Pennsylvania, in 1957-1970. In 1979, a large-scale restoration was launched here, initiated by the Government of Guatemala and the University of Pennsylvania. Many very important endangered monuments have been restored, and all other structures have been put in order. Restoration continues to this day.

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Tikal was one of the largest cultural, political and populated centers of the Mayan civilization. Monumental architecture began to appear here in the 4th century BC. BC, in Tikal find red-orange vessels dating back to 700 BC. is.
The city flourished during the classical period, around 200 AD. BC to 850. The complex "lost world" with a pyramid 10 meters high is under construction, which will be completed 4 more times and will reach 32 meters.
After 850, the construction of monumental buildings stopped, some of the palaces were destroyed, and the population declined until the city was completely abandoned in the 10th century.

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The name Tikal may be very old, although the hieroglyphic texts of the classical period usually refer to it as Mutul or Yash-Mutul, meaning "green bundle", and perhaps metaphorically "the first prophecy".
The population of Tikal in its heyday (ie during the classical period), according to researchers, was between 100 thousand and 200 thousand inhabitants.