Copán

Pre-Columbian ruins at Copán, Honduras, Central America. Occupied between around 400 and 800, Copán was one of the most important royal sites of the Mayan civilization. The extensive ruins at the site include temples, pyramids, stelae, ball courts, and the carved Hieroglyphic Stairway leading to one of the temples.

Pre-Columbian ruins at Copán, Honduras, Central America. Copán was a major centre of the Mayan civilization, reaching its peak in the 8th century. Much is known about the lives and times of the inhabitants of the site as a result of 500 years of exploration and study, beginning with Spanish explorers in the early 16th century and continuing with extensive excavations today.

Town in Copán department, western Honduras, near the frontier with Guatemala, 225 km/140 mi northwest of the capital Tegucigalpa; population (1991) 21,200. Nearby is a preserved site of an ancient Mayan city, including a temple, pyramids, and carved monoliths. The ancient city reached its peak between 450–800 and was abandoned in the 9th century. The site was bought in the 1830s by John Stephens, an American writer, for $50.