EL MIRADOR

Rediscovered in 1930, El Mirador has not yet been well excavated and keeps many secrets. The jungle covers a great part of its structures, built from -600. That said, we know that the city knew its golden age between -300 and the year 250, date at which it was deserted, before being again partially occupied between 700 and 900. Another certainty: it is about the biggest Maya city found to date and one of the oldest of Mesoamerica. In addition to having been the capital of the region, it is one of the cradles of the principal characteristics of the Maya civilization.

The 16 square kilometers of the site are home to several large complexes: El Tigre, Monos, Gran Acrópolis and La Danta. With 77 meters of altitude, this last structure is the highest of the Mayan pyramids, as well as one of the largest in the world: its volume even exceeds that of the Great Pyramid of Cheops, in Egypt. Moreover, the architectural complex consists of an artificial platform and two small structures located on a right angle of the central pyramid. Also, the civic and ceremonial center of the city was connected to the "suburbs" Sacalero, La Muerta, Los Faisanes and Los Cruces by a network of roadways.

If Tikal has proved to be an enigma for archaeologists, El Mirador holds a greater mystery. It is difficult to imagine how a city of such magnitude could have existed for centuries, in an arid territory, isolated in a thick jungle and far from any water source.