Palenque - Ruined City of the Maya, Mexico (35/418)

A prime example of a Mayan sanctuary of the classical period, Palenque was at its height between 500 and 700 A.D. and had a great influence in the entire basin of the Usumacinta River. The elegance and craftsmanship of the construction, as well as the lightness of the sculpted reliefs illustrating Mayan mythology, attest to the creative genius of this civilization.