Copan is so ridden with sculptures and large constructions that even now it looks like a large city. It used to be one of the largest cities of the Maya World, at parity with Caracol and Tikal, located at the edge of the empire and surrounded by non-Maya people. The intricately sculpted standing “stellas” describe the history and the rulers’ dynasties, giving us a pretty good idea about what happened in the past.

The city was established as a capital by a dynasty from Tikal that wanted to create a friendly power center. This happened in the middle of the 5th century and it lasted under various rulers till around the middle of the 8th century when the neighboring Quirigua conquered the city. No matter that the following rulers still developed it, the city passed into oblivion around the 9th century, the population declining considerably.