Archaeological sites in and around Mexico City

In Mexico City you can find archaeological ruins of the Mexica culture (more commonly known as the Aztec culture). At these places, and in their museums, you can learn more about the mysteries of the Aztecs' cosmo-vision and their customs, some of which persist in the capital today.

Templo Mayor: Located in downtown Mexico City at 8 Seminario Street. This is a small archaeological zone where you can see the remains of the Aztecs' Grand Temple, the most important building of Tenochtitlan (the old Aztec capital now known as Mexico City). The site has a museum that houses objects found during excavation and restoration. The Aztecs built the temple in honor of their gods Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Tlatelolco: Located in the center of the city, on Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas, Col. Nonoalco-Tlatelolco. Considered the sister city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire. The base of a main temple still stands at this site, similar to that of the Templo Mayor. There is also a round temple that was built to honor the god of wind. The pre-Hispanic constructions form part of a group of architectural structures known as the Plaza de las Tres Culturas (Three Cultures Square), which is where you will also find colonial building la Iglesia de Santiago Tlatelolco (the Church of Santiago Tlatelolco) and a housing complex.

Cuicuilco: Located in south Mexico City at 156 Avenida Insurgentes Sur and Anillo Pereferico, Tlalpan District. This is one of the oldest pre-Hispanic urban zones in Mexico. Here you will find the preserved ruins of several religious and residential buildings, as well as the remains of a water works system. One of the most interesting ruins is a round terraced pyramid with five levels, considered the first attempt by Mexico's pre-Hispanic civilization to create a relationship between religion and the cosmos.

Teotihuacan: Teotihuacan, which means the place where men become gods, is an archaeological zone in the State of Mexico, situated between the towns of San Juan Teotihuacan and San Martin de las Piramides, 48 km (30 mi) northeast of Mexico City. The climate is semi-dry, with an average year-round temperature of 15º C (59º F). The archaeological zone of Teotihuacan is one of the country's major tourist attractions. In the past it was one of the largest and most complex metropolises in prehispanic Mexico. Its main structures include the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, as well as an on-site museum. The culture that produced this magnificent city originated in the first century A.D., reaching its peak between the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., and subsequently declining until it was eventually abandoned.
For more information about Teotihuacan, please click here.

Cholula: The biggest pyramid in the world used to be in Cholula, Puebla (approx. 120 km from Mexico City). Its sides were 450 m long and it reached the respectable height of 65 m. This made it twice as big as the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacán.

Nowadays, just a few blocks from the main square in Cholula, visitors can still find the ruins of a great platform which sides are all approximately 450 m long. This grand bulk, probably dedicated to the gods of the rain, was constructed in seven different phases, which made possible for it to reach a size twice as big as the pyramid of the sun in Teotihuacán. During the excavations, the archeologists discovered a fantastic 56 m long mural where there were illustrations of people drinking pulque, a ritual beverage.

Upon entering the Cholula museum, which is right by the entrance to the archeological zone, you can find an admirable reproduction of that painting, together with a model which describes the different constructive phases of the pyramid. On top of the hillock which was used as sustenance for the construction of the pyramid, arises nowadays the church of Virgen de Los Remedios. Do not forget to pay a visit there: its panoramic view will take your breath away!


Source: Mexican Tourism Board