Asfura opens commemoration of the first king of Copán’s arrival 1,600 years ago

Honduras has begun commemorating 1,600 years since the arrival of K’inich Yax K’uk’ Mo’, the first king of Copán, with a cultural event at the Maya archaeological site of Copán Ruinas.

President Nasry Asfura opened the ceremony at the Maya Archaeological Museum and praised the civilization’s technological, educational and cultural achievements. He said the Maya heritage forms part of Honduran identity and called it one of the country’s strongest introductions to the world.

“

I am very excited to be here, fulfilling our duty to promote a culture that has shown the whole world that it achieved highly advanced developments in technology, culture and education.

The ceremony also brought a new cooperation agreement between the Honduran government and Japan. Honduran authorities signed the accord with Japan’s ambassador, Kazuhiro Nakai, for construction of a new visitor centre at Copán, the country’s most important archaeological site. UNESCO declared the site a World Heritage location in 1980.

“

It is the Maya culture, which began a journey here 1,600 years ago that left an extraordinary mark on the Maya world and here in Honduras is the most important foundation of its culture.

Asfura thanked Japan for its cultural support. Nakai said the centre would include a modern system to speed tourist entry and improve safety, while recalling the 90-year history of relations between Japan and Honduras.

The commemoration began with civic and cultural activities attended by national and international archaeologists, including Harvard anthropologist William Fash, who has studied the Maya world for about five decades. Researchers gathered to remember K’inich Yax K’uk’ Mo’, whose remains were found at Copán and who was represented at the event by a Honduran child. Tourism Minister Andrés Ehrler invited people from around the world to visit a culture he said made major contributions to identity, scholarship and mathematics across the Americas.

“

An invitation to the whole world to come and discover one of the cultures that contributed most to identity, the scientific community and mathematics throughout the Americas.