When entering the site, the first structures you encounter are the stelae, zoomorphs, and temples of the Grand Plaza. After the Hieroglyphic Staircase, the Grand Plaza is the most spectacular and awesome sight at Copan. I love the stelae in the Grand Plaza; I feel that they are even more spectacular than the stelae of Quirigua. I felt that the Grand Plaza was reminiscent of the Gallery of Stone Heads in the Semi-Subterranean Temple at Tiwanaku in Bolivia; like they both were galleries displaying the various peoples of the Earth.
According to the LONELY PLANET GUIDE to HONDURAS, 1st Edition, January 2007, ISBN 978-1-74059-150-8, pages 151-152, the Grand Plaza comprises a group of ruins with huge intricately carved stelae portraying the rulers of Copan [I disagree because some of the stelae have asian features including beards]. The Mayans painted all of these stelae; Stela C still has traces of red paint. The Mayans carved most of the best stelae around 613-738 A.D.
