Ocotepec

Ocotepec marks the valley of Copán, one of the great cities of the Classic Maya world. A dynasty founded by K’inich Yax K’uk’ Mo’ in the fifth century raised temples, plazas and richly carved monuments here. Its rulers recorded their history on stelae and on the famous Hieroglyphic Stairway, the longest known Maya inscription. Though the city’s royal power declined centuries before the Spanish conquest, its stone monuments remain among the achievements of Maya art.