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Quirigua

Quirigua
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Description

The location of Quirigua was economically attractive for its ancient inhabitants. The proximity of the river helped them in manufacturing of pottery. In addition, the deposits of raw jade were discovered near the town, and this mineral served at the time as an important object of Mayan trade.

Quirigua was founded by immigrants from Copan in the second half of VII century. The sculptures of animals with human features (such as the jaguar with a human face), personified gods, were found in the park and suggest that Quirigua was a major religious center of the era.

The main advantages of Quirigua are the Mayan steles, resembling standing stones. Most often in these steles the Indians depicted their rulers. The tool of a sculptor was a stone chisel. Hieroglyphics were made so hackly on the solid rock that met the centuries and stayed indestructible in humid tropical climate. There are 22 steles on the large meadow covered with lush green grass in Quirigua. The largest Mayan monument weighing 65 tons and 10 meters a height was found here. The steles are enclosed and covered with straw roofs from the weather.

There is no the city as such the cities of the ancient Mayan pyramids in Quirigua. Perhaps it will be excavated. So far there are only the steles and the ruins of an ancient building with steps, which you can climb up to see the obelisks from a height.

In 1981, the Archaeological Park of Quirigua was recognized by UNESCO as a Historical Heritage of mankind.

Next to Quirigua is the largest banana plantation in Guatemala. You can stop here to see how these fruits grow.

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