Teotihuacán

The holy city of Teotihuacán was built between the 1st and 7th centuries A.D. and is characterized by the vast size of its monuments. As one of the most powerful cultural centers in Mesoamerica, Teotihuacán extended its cultural and artistic influence throughout the region and even beyond.

Teotihuacán is located in a sub-valley of the Valley of Mexico, which is located in the State of Mexico, 40 km (25 mi) northeast of modern-day Mexico City. It covers a total surface area of 83 sq km (32 sq mi).

The "Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacán" was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It is the most visited archaeological site in Mexico, receiving over 4 million visitors annually.

Teotihuacan is known today as the site of many of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids built in the pre-Columbian Americas. It is the most important and largest pre-Columbian city in Mexico.

Teotihuacan began as a religious center in the Mexican Highlands around the first century CE. At its zenith, perhaps in the first half of the first millennium CE, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas. With a population estimated at 125,000 or more, it was at least the sixth-largest city in the world during its epoch.

At the peak of its development the city stretched out over 36 sq km (13.9 sq mi). The city was razed by fire and subsequently abandoned during the 7th century.

Outside the ceremonial center, which, despite its imposing size, represents only 10% of the total surface, excavations have revealed palaces and residential quarters that are of great interest. For example:

• La Ventilla
• Tetitla
• Zacuala
• Yayahuala
• Xala
• Tepantitla

Teotihuacan was home to multi-floor apartment compounds built to accommodate the large population. This World Heritage site bears unique testimony to the pre-urban structures of ancient Mexico.

 

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The holy city of Teotihuacán is characterized by the vast size of its monuments, laid out on geometric and symbolic principles. As one of the most powerful cultural centers in Mesoamerica, Teotihuacán extended its cultural and artistic influence throughout the region and even beyond.

This north-south oriented main reference axis of the city is lined with monumental buildings and complexes, from which the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, as well as the Great Compound with the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (also known as Temple of the Plumed Serpent) stand out.

One characteristic of the city’s civil and religious architecture is the "talud-tablero," which became a distinctive feature of this culture. Furthermore, a considerable number of buildings were decorated with wall paintings where elements of worldview and the environment of that time were materialized.

The city is considered a model of urbanization and large-scale planning, which greatly influenced the conceptions of contemporary and subsequent cultures.