The Holy City of Teotihuacan 🇲🇽 Mexico Pre-Hispanic World Heritage Site

Teotihuacan, located in the highlands of central Mexico, is one of the world's most impressive archaeological sites. Few cities in the world have been considered worthy of being inhabited by gods who are accustomed to occupying loftier realms than those peopled by mere mortals. Teotihuacan is such a city, and a thousand years of civilization, which can still be felt today along its wide avenues projecting out towards the cardinal points of the universe, had to pass before this place could be elevated to the ranks of a mythical city. It's a divine yet human city, patterned with streets and dwelling places, which bore witness to bustling activity. When the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon were completed, the locus of construction at Teotihuacan shifted to the southern end of the Street of the Dead, where a complex called the Cuidadela, a sunken large plaza. The Cuidadela is a large enclosure located at the geographic center of the city. It measures about 400 meters on one side, and the interior space is surrounded by four large platforms surmounted by pyramids. The Feathered Serpent Pyramid was the central pyramid of this large complex. Adorned with large sculptural heads, it was one of the most monumental structures in Teotihuacan. Presumed to be warriors, the militaristic connotations have influenced interpretations of the building's exterior. The Temple of the Feathered Serpent may have been the first use of the architectural profile known as Talud Tablero at Teotihuacan. In Talud Tablero, a rectangular panel, the Tablero, sits atop a sloping panel, the Talud. Both surfaces could be decorated, most often with mural painting. This distinctive profile dominates the architecture of the entire site and is taken as a marker of Teotihuacan influence when it appears in other locations throughout Mesoamerica. Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity of the people of Teotihuacan, the Mayans and the Aztecs, was a popular god in Mesoamerica in pre-Columbian times. The Quetzal bird with its brilliant colors and long tail feathers, combined with the snake, perhaps a rattlesnake, were the images which defined this god. Splendid in costume and deadly in appearance, the Quetzalcoatl deity had the ability of flight and the gift of life and rebirth. The serpent is a common metaphor for rebirth and continuity or resurrection worldwide due to the shedding of its skin and the coiled circular shape that the snake often takes, representing eternity. The people of Teotihuacan believed in ritual sacrifice to satisfy the gods. Multiple burials were found at the pyramid and it's believed that they were sacrificed as part of the dedication of the temple. There are four directions in the world, nine layers of their underworld, 13 layers of heaven and earth and a ritual calendar of 13 months of 20 days or a 260-day calendar and a solar calendar of 18 months of 20 days. The ceremonial ensemble of Teotihuacan represents a unique artistic achievement as much by the enormous size of the monuments as by the strictness of a layout based on cosmic harmony. The art of the Teotihuacanos was the most developed among the classic civilizations of Mexico. Here it's expressed in its successive and complementary aspects. The dry and obsessive geometry of the pyramids of the sun and the moon contrasts with the sculpted and painted decor of an exceptional richness of Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent. The Avenue of the Dead or Calzado de los Muertos in Spanish is one of the most fascinating components of the ruins of Teotihuacan that are worth exploring. The avenue is the main road to the center of the ancient city and the name came from an observation by the Aztecs that the mounds on either side of the street resemble tombs. The primary avenue runs on a north-south axis for several kilometers and aligns the city approximately 15 degrees east of north towards Cerro Gordo. It ran for more than two and a half kilometers beginning at the moon plaza to the north and extending beyond the Cuidadela and the great compound complexes to the south. The avenue continued even further south terminating near the edge of the mountains. The avenue divided the city into two sections. Apartment compounds with pyramidal constructions were arranged on both sides of the avenue often symmetrically and sharing the same orientation. This highly planned city layout suggests that the avenue may have been planned from its earliest phases of urbanization. The main sector of the avenue was evidently the section between the moon pyramid and the Rio San Juan channel. Lining the immense avenue of the dead the unique group of sacred monuments and places of worship at Teotihuacan constitutes an outstanding example of a pre- Colombian ceremonial center. At the avenue's halfway point one sees the Conjunto Plaza Oeste and a residential area which was probably inhabited by priests in the pre-Hispanic era. Palace complexes organized around plazas are among the most impressive examples of pre-Colombian residences. The complex pantheon worshipped by the elite militaristic culture of Teotihuacan consists of several deities that recur in later cultures. Many of them took animal form or had extensive animal attributes. The so-called great goddess of Teotihuacan is associated with the The netted jaguar is one of the most distinctive gods. Finally there are two serpent gods the feathered serpent identified by the Aztec name Quetzalcoatl and the fire war serpent later known as the Aztec Zucotl. Although the visual appearance of these gods is fairly well understood their significance and interrelationships are still being studied. Many animals some of which may have symbolized lesser gods were depicted in Teotihuacan art. This grid unique in Mesoamerica in its scale and organization implies a high degree of social control. Presumably an elite group of nobles directed the building projects and coordinated trade and tribute relations with far-flung corners of Mesoamerica. According to writings from the 16th century sacrifices practiced by Moxteczuma every 20 days on the site attested to the persistence of beliefs which made Teotihuacan a sacred place of exceptional value. Teotihuacan was the religious center of Mesoamerica. Its skyline was dominated by two enormous pyramids which the Aztecs called the pyramid of the sun and the pyramid of the moon both linked by a broad avenue. In Teotihuacan a classic aesthetic evolved emphasizing order and refinement. Austerely elegant stylized design resulted in the creation of a monumental art of serene simplicity and noble grandeur. At the peak of its development the city stretched out over 36,000 square kilometers outside the ceremonial center. As originally built the sun pyramid was approximately 215 by 215 meters at the base and about 63 meters high. It was significantly enlarged at least twice in later periods resulting in a final size of 225 meters along each side. The pyramid was located on the east side of the avenue of the dead in the northern half of the city. In addition to its geographic centrality the importance of the pyramid is indicated by a cave located under the structure. It's believed by certain scholars that the cave was used for ritual activities and this is why the pyramid was constructed where it is today. The pyramid was reconstructed as five stepped platforms but it originally consisted of four step platforms, a surmounting temple and the adusada platform which was built over what was originally the principal facade of the pyramid. No information about the temple itself is available since along with the uppermost portion of the pyramid it's been completely destroyed. The pyramids of the sun and the moon echoing the shape of the mountains surrounding the valley served as focal points for Teotihuacan's urban layout. Beneath the pyramids are earlier structures. Perhaps even tombs of Teotihuacan rulers are to be found within their stone walls. One of the largest structures ever built in the ancient Americas, its aspect today is the result of reconstruction and consolidation carried out in the early part of the 20th century. Excavations in 1971 directly under the pyramid of the sun revealed a tunnel-like cave ending in a clover leaf shaped set of chambers, apparently the scene of numerous ancient fire and water rituals. The five-tiered platform was attached to the front of the moon pyramid. It's said that the present pyramid has interior structures within it. However, the pyramid still remains one of the least understood major monuments in Teotihuacan. The current excavation under the pyramid of the moon may be one of the best opportunities to answer questions about the civilization as its underlying older primitive loose rock construction may have protected buried secrets, thus making it difficult to dig under and resistant to looters. The ethnic identity of Teotihuacan's inhabitants is not known. No writing system has been discovered here, even in the intricate iconography of its many painted murals. The original name of the city is not known. It was called Pu, place of the reeds, by the contemporary Maya. Climbing to the apex of this giant will also offer sweeping views of the surroundings as well as an excellent look at the avenue of the dead. The pyramids at Teotihuacan aren't built of solid stone, but consist of stone and brick rubble covered with layers of cut stone. They are, however, still an extraordinary achievement, especially since all this was done without the benefit of pack animals, metal tools or the wheel. The pyramid is actually a series of pyramids built on top of each other. Pyramids and other structures are cascading, but not with smooth walls like the Egyptian pyramids, and the stones used to construct them aren't as large as those in the pyramids at Giza. The late classic period saw increasing fractionalization among cultures. In the place of great states, petty kingdoms and militarism arose. From the high point of civilization at Teotihuacan, wars became the rule of the day, and for those unfortunate enough to be captured, sacrifice to the gods. Military empires such as the Toltecs in the 12th century AD, which grew up from these warring factions, were the cultures met by the Spanish in 1519, and largely eradicated by 1521. The reason why the Spanish were able to conquer the Aztecs in such a short amount of time probably had less to do with their skill as soldiers, and more to do with the fact that the Spaniards physically resembled the descriptions in Aztec legends of the god Quetzalcoatl. All Teotihuacan architecture was thickly covered with stucco, which was usually painted with murals. The best remaining examples of these frescoes decorate the interior walls of the palaces. Three styles of murals have been categorized. Decorative designs with symbolic meaning, stylized conceptual images of deities and mythological creatures, and narrative scenes that are more perceptual or realistic than abstract and schematic. Near the pyramid of the moon is the Jaguar Palace, with its motifs of serpents and plumed jaguars, with shells running down their backs. Teotihuacan's murals constitute a primary source for understanding the city's religion and social organization. Found throughout the city on the walls of apartment compounds such as Tetitla, the paintings depict a wide range of images centered around two major deities, a female known as the Great Goddess, and a male known as the Storm God. The Great Goddess is usually depicted frontally, with additional motifs pertaining to agricultural fertility. The Storm God is usually shown in profile and is identified by his distinctive face mask and the lightning bolt carried in his left hand. Animals, including coyotes, owls, and jaguars, are also prominent in the murals. The paintings were laid down quickly on thinly plastered walls. Red dominates the color scheme, although blues, yellows, and greens appear. The Palace of the Quetzalpapalotl is an elite residential palace, thought to be where the high priest lived, and is located just southwest of the pyramid of the moon. Its colorfully frescoed rooms are arranged around a central patio, which is surrounded by a roofed arcade, supported by stone columns bearing bas-relief of Quetzal butterflies and water symbols. The term Palacio de Quetzalpapalotl is a completely misleading name. First of all, it was not a palace in the sense of the place where a ruler and his court lived. A few priests may have stayed there for periods of time, but probably had their primary residencies somewhere else. Then there's the name Quetzalpapalotl. It was originally applied because the excavator thought he was uncovering depictions of a strange creature with Quetzal bird and butterfly characteristics. A host of other temples and sacred pyramids dot the Teotihuacan landscape, and yet despite the incredible size of this ancient city, solid evidence as to why it ended and what happened to its inhabitants is still to be found. Most experts who study Teotihuacan history subscribe to one or two ideas. Either that the elite sections of the city were burnt to the ground by the poorer and more disgruntled inhabitants, or that a neighbouring group, such as the Toltecs, sacked and burnt the city. Whichever version sounds most likely to visitors, it's believed that the city was burned and was eventually inhabited and preserved first by the Toltecs, then later by the Aztecs. The rooms of the palace are arranged around a central courtyard with impressively carved pillars. The decorations are mainly of the colourful bird Quetzal and butterflies papalotl, which gave the palace its name. Wall paintings were important in Teotihuacan and some survived in this palace and the subterranean ones along the street of the dead. Geometric patterns including a four-petalled flower were popular, as well as animals such as the jaguar and birds. The volcanic glass called obsidian forms the eyes of the birds. It seems rather odd that the pieces of stone used to make the pillars are cut into irregularly sized and shaped blocks, and also vary in texture and colour from each other. The building crafts must have employed many artisans of diverse kinds, both for construction and for maintenance. Larger civic ceremonial structures maintain angular accuracy within a fraction of a degree, in contrast to many other parts of Mesoamerica, and this must have required skilled surveyors. Cut stone, sometimes carved, was used for stairways and facades in some of the principal civic ceremonial structures, and in at least one case, the Quetzalpapalotl palace for pillars. Much more commonly, wall cores were made of uncut or at most roughly shaped stones. Teotihuacan arose as a new religious centre in the Mexican highland around the time of Christ. Although its incipient period, the first two centuries BC, is poorly understood, archaeological data show that the next two centuries were characterised by monumental construction, during which Teotihuacan quickly became the largest and most populous urban centre in the New World. By this time, the city already appears to have expanded by approximately 20,000 square kilometres, with about 60,000 to 80,000 inhabitants. The development of the city seems to have involved inter-site population movements, exploitation of natural resources, an increase in agricultural production, technological inventions, the establishment of trading systems, and other kinds of socio-political organisations and attractive belief systems. By the fourth century, unmistakable influences of Teotihuacan were felt throughout most parts of Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan was the sixth largest city in the world, during its period of greatest prosperity, with an estimated population of 125,000. The city seems to have functioned for centuries as a well-developed urban centre, until its rather sudden collapse, possibly in the seventh century. The Plaza of the Moon, like the central plaza of the Cuidadela, was probably one of the most ceremonial areas in the metropolis. The Pyramid of the Moon forms part of an architectural complex known as the Plaza of the Moon. The spatial arrangement of the structures which form the Plaza of the Moon complex illustrate that the city was laid out according to a master plan, based on symmetry, and that it was intentionally integrated into the local geography. This is most notable as one walks along the centre line of the Avenue of the Dead, and looks towards the upper part of Cerro Gordo, the mountain that dominates the landscape to the north of the Pyramid of the Moon. The apex of the pyramid coincides exactly with the notch on the upper part of the mountain, which lines up exactly with the avenue. Because of this, it seems that the Pan-Mesoamerican belief that pyramids represent sacred mountains may have been an important factor in the planning of the ancient city. Other apparently important factors in the planning of the city were the movements of the astronomical bodies, such as the Sun, the Moon and Venus, among others. The Avenue of the Dead begins at the Plaza of the Moon, which is formed by 15 pyramidal structures, including the Pyramid of the Moon, and continues more than five kilometres to the south, almost to the foot of the mountains that can be seen in the distance. For many years it was believed that the pyramid contained earlier structures within its walls. But until the Pyramid of the Moon project excavations began in 1998, archaeologists could only guess at how many there were, and how they'd been constructed. The Pyramid of the Moon was probably completed around 250 AD. Recent excavations near the base of the pyramid staircase have uncovered the tomb of a male skeleton, with numerous grave goods of obsidian and greenstone, as well as sacrificial animals. One of the most significant tombs yet discovered at Teotihuacan, it might indicate that even more important tombs lie buried at the heart of the pyramid. Shortly after the Olmec civilisation vanished, a new civilisation arose in the 2nd century BC in the Valley of Mexico. This grand civilisation would dominate the culture of the Valley of Mexico for almost a millennium, and stands as the most significant cultural influence throughout the history of Central American civilisations. This civilisation was centred around the city of Teotihuacan. At its peak, Teotihuacan was a city of over 100,000 people. Not only was it the largest city in America, it was one of the largest cities in the ancient world period. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan have only grown in popularity since.