Copán was an important Mayan city located in present day Honduras during the classical period (about 250 to 900). It flourished in the 8th century, but was soon abandoned and fell like most other Mayan cities.
The Ruins of Copán is located in the valley of the Río Copán in the far west of Honduras near the present-day town of San José de Copán in the department of Copán at about 600 meters above sea level.
The city is thus located on the eastern edge of the area inhabited by the Maya. Along the river are five small plains, the largest of which, at about 13 square kilometers, is the so-called Copán Pocket, which also houses the city.
The valley is flanked by mountains up to 2,000 meters high, which largely shield it from destructive weather conditions, such as large cyclones.
This location also prevents humid air currents from reaching the region, resulting in a moderately hot tropical climate.
Copán is dominated by the "main group" located in the center, a centrally located collection of buildings and also complex buildings with an area of around 12 hectares. In turn, it is divided by a large open space into a northern and a southern half. The northern part, with three rows of steps, followed by several platforms, the "Great Square", in which several stelae are written with inscriptions written in Mayan hieroglyphic. The so-called Acropolis, in contrast to some of the smaller buildings, forms the southern part of the main group and consists of a large number of terraces and platforms on which, in turn, other buildings rise. From the large area that divides the main group, two lime covered causeways (Sacbeob) in north-south and east-west directions lead to four large residential areas inhabited mainly by aristocrats. There also lived their court and a variety of craftsmen; However, the ruler of the city lived in his residence in the main group. The common folk only had simple stilt houses as lodgings.
Source: Wikipedia