The detail of carvings and stelae are impressive; 4,509 structures, with 3,450 of the structures found only 24 sq km surrounding the Principal Group:
The Ball Court, considered the social center of the city. Unique to it are the markers on the side walls, resembling macaw heads. The final work done on this ball court goes back to the days of ruler 18 Rabbit.
The Acropolis. Divided in two big plazas: the west court and the east court. The west court houses temple 11 and temple 16 with the unique altar Q set at its base. Temple 11 was built during the reign of Yax-Pac, and is his most significant architectural contribution to Copan. It was meant to be his portal to the other world. Altar Q has now been completely "read" and depicts each (16) of the members of the Copan Dynasty, including Yax-Pac, seated on their own glyph.
Temple 16 sits in between the east and west court; it was built on top of a previous temple without damaging it. This old temple, “Temple of the Sun", and its discovery has helped archaeologists understand how Copan actually looked in its days of glory.
The Hieroglyphic Stairway. The most famous of Copan`s monuments, 63 steps and thousands of glyphs tell the history of the royal house of Copan. This temple holds the longest known text left to us by Maya civilization. It was erected by Copan ruler number 15, Smoke-Shell, and is believed to be a lineage tree, recording the ascension and death of all Copan rulers from Yax-Kuk-Mo to Smoke-Shell. The 5 portraits located in the stairway represent five successors to the Copan dynasty.
The Great Plaza. This Maya ruins of Copan`s monument famous for its stelae and altars that are scattered around this plaza. Most of the stelaes were erected during the times of the 13th Copan ruler, known as 18 Rabbit.
Copan, considered the most spectacular city's of the Maya , is situated in the southwestern part of the Mayas region.
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