what is tikal

Tikal is the ruin of an ancient city, which was likely to have been called Yax Mutal, found in a rainforest in Guatemala. It is one of the largest archeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, and it is located in the archeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala. Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya. The city dominated much of the Maya region politically, economically, and militarily, while interacting with areas throughout Mesoamerica such as the great metropolis of Teotihuacan in the distant Valley of Mexico. Tikal is famous for its monumental architecture, including two dozen major pyramids, and is one of the largest archaeological sites in Central America. The name Tikal may be derived from ti akal in the Yucatec Maya language, and it is said to be a relatively modern name meaning "at the waterhole". The site is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an important cultural icon for Guatemala.