Explore Tikal. Abandoned more than 1,000 years ago and lost to the jungle until the 20th century, Tikal is now the crown jewel of ancient Maya cities. During it's heyday, Tikal had a large population of around 90,000 people and it's rulers dominated the region, regularly battling with nearby dynasties in the Caracol and Xunatunich (both in Belize) before mysteriously being abandoned around the late 800's CE. Today, Tikal is perhaps most famous for it's signature temples located in a grand central plaza. The tallest pyramid, dubbed Temple IV, rises more than 230 feet (70 meters) into the air. Built to celebrate the rain of Yik’in Chan Kawil, it is believed that this temple was built just one century before the entire city was abandoned. Several other pyramids are clustered around the grand central plaza, including the Temple of the Mask, the Temple of the Jaguar Priest, and the Temple of the Inscriptions. Other signature locations in central Tikal include the “Mundo Perdido” (Lost World) complex which has five different platforms, a large pyramid (known as the Great Pyramid for it's size), and an astronomical observatory.