UNESCO has recently inscribed the ancient city of Tak’alik Ab’aj in Guatemala on the World Heritage List. This city has a history spanning 1,700 years, extending from the Olmec civilization to the early period of the Maya culture.

Tak’alik Ab’aj is an archaeological park located on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. The city played a crucial role in the transition from the Olmec civilization to the Maya culture. It was one of the most important economic and cultural centers in southern Guatemala during the pre-Columbian era. The park is situated at an elevation of 600 meters above sea level, on the slopes of a volcanic mountain range running along the Pacific coast.

To this day, numerous artifacts and remnants discovered at the Tak’alik Ab’aj National Archaeological Park in Guatemala have marked the transitional period from the Olmec culture to the early era of the Maya civilization. This site also contains many early Maya architectural structures. According to the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Natural Heritage, with what has been found, the Tak’alik Ab’aj National Archaeological Park is a sacred place with significant connections to Guatemalan culture. The location boasts diverse flora and fauna, embodying both the spiritual and cosmological aspects of the Maya worldview.

The UNESCO representative in Guatemala, Mr. Patricio Zambrano, stated: ‘This site holds exceptional universal values. Among these outstanding values, we must highlight the ingeniously creative works of humanity, which allow us to present unique and exceptional evidence of a cultural tradition or a vanished civilization.’

The Guatemalan government mentioned that this site is also known as the ‘City of Light’ on the southern coast, and from here, there have been early developments in technology and astronomy.