Tikal
티칼
Tikal is the ruin of one of the largest cities of the ancient Maya, hidden in the rainforest of the Petén region in northern Guatemala. Its stone temple-pyramids are so tall that their tops poke out above the jungle trees. "Tikal" is a modern name; carvings suggest the Maya called the city Yax Mutal.
See it on the 3D globe →At a glance
- Country
- Guatemala
- Location
- Petén, Guatemala
- Built
- c. 400 BC
- Height
- 70 m
- Type
- Ancient site
Quick answers
Where is Tikal?
Tikal is in Petén, Guatemala.
How tall is Tikal?
Tikal is about 70 m tall.
One of the greatest Maya cities, its temple-pyramids rising above the jungle canopy.
The city was at its most powerful from about AD 200 to 900, when tens of thousands of people may have lived in and around it. Archaeologists have mapped about 3,000 structures, from great temples to palaces and homes. Tikal was largely abandoned by the end of the 10th century and swallowed by the forest. Today it lies inside Tikal National Park, Guatemala's first protected area, and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
History
The first large buildings went up several centuries before AD 1, and Tikal grew into a powerful kingdom. In AD 378 a warrior named Siyaj K'ak', probably working for the great city of Teotihuacan in Mexico, arrived, and the local king was killed. For a long time Tikal was locked in a rivalry with another Maya city, Calakmul, and in 562 it was defeated by Caracol. It bounced back under King Jasaw Chan K'awiil, who defeated Calakmul in 695. Like many Maya cities, Tikal declined after the 8th century, and by around the 10th century it was mostly empty.
The great temples
Temple I, also called the Temple of the Great Jaguar, is a steep pyramid about 47 metres tall. It was built as the tomb of Jasaw Chan K'awiil, who was buried there in 734. Temple IV is the tallest building at Tikal, at about 70 metres, and it is linked to a later king, Yax Kin. Today the forest around the ruins is full of wildlife. Howler monkeys, spider monkeys, toucans and colourful ocellated turkeys are often seen, and jaguars and pumas are said to roam the park.
Rediscovery and fame
The first recorded modern expedition reached Tikal in 1848, led by Modesto Méndez and Ambrosio Tut. Since then archaeologists have mapped the whole city. Tikal National Park was created on 26 May 1955, and UNESCO listed it in 1979 for both its history and its nature. Tikal also became a film star: its temples rising above the jungle appear as the rebel base on the moon Yavin 4 in the first Star Wars movie, released in 1977.
Fun facts
- Tikal appears as the rebel base in the film Star Wars (1977).
- Tikal's temples appear as the rebel base in the first Star Wars film from 1977.
- Temple IV is about 70 metres tall, roughly as high as a 20-storey building.
- Around 3,000 structures have been found and mapped at Tikal.
- The name Tikal is modern; the Maya seem to have called their city Yax Mutal.
On the globe
The model shows Tikal's tall temple-pyramids rising above the jungle canopy in Guatemala. Zoom in to see the steep, stepped pyramids peeking out of the trees.
Quiz time
Which is taller: Tikal or Pyramid of the Magician?
Show the answer
Tikal. (70 m vs 35 m) Pyramid of the Magician →
Nearby on the globe
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-13