Chichicastenango

Chichicastenango, also known as Santo Tomás Chichicastenango, is a town, with a population of 71,394 (2018 census), and the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name in the El Quiché department of Guatemala. Situated on a high-altitude plateau of the Guatemalan Highlands at an elevation of 1,965 metres (6,447 ft). above sea level, the town historically served as a vital K'iche' Maya ceremonial and regional center. It is notably recognized as the historic location where the original manuscript of the Popol Vuh, the sacred narrative of the K'iche' people, was preserved and transcribed in the early 18th century. The Spanish conquistadors named the town Tzitzicaztenanco (meaning "place of nettles") using the Nahuatl language of their Tlaxcalan allies, replacing its original K'iche' name, Chaviar. Chichicastenango is a K'iche' Maya cultural centre. According to the 2012 census, 98.5% of the municipality's population is indigenous Mayan K'iche. Of the population, 21% speak only K'iche, 71% speak both K'iche and Spanish, and the remaining 8% speak only Spanish.