Articles about Teotihuacan
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Teotihuacan, The Place Where Men Become Gods

by: Travel by México

Teotihuacan, The Place Where Men Become Gods, Teotihuacan
City Info

Teotihuacan, The Place Where Men Become Gods

by: Travel by México

Imagine a place chosen by the gods to become the central point not only for the planet, but for the entire universe. Teotihuacan is that place.

The "place where men become gods" or Teotihuacan, is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Mesoamerica.  It was an imposing ceremonial center that was occupied by a culture which influenced many others by its architecture, although ironically, little is known about the people of Teotihuacan.  Located between San Juan Teotihuacan and San Martin de las Piramides, it sits 30 miles north of Mexico City.

It is said that the height of the culture was between the third and fourth centuries AD. Currently the site occupies an area of about one square mile, but at its height covered an area of about 8 square miles.  In Teotihuacan’s golden age, it was inhabited by over 200,000 people, was a well established and organized society with social classes and well-established political parties, and it was a theocratic "State of Teotihuacan," not an empire. The most important and privileged class was the priests, and the rest of the population were involved in various activities such as agriculture and pottery.

The temples were where the priests lived, and the others lived in houses made of adobe and wood. They were polytheists and their main gods were Tlaloc, the rain god, and Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god or creator.

The reason for the decline of Teotihuacan is not very clear. It apparently happened between 650 and 750, and there is talk of a collapse in the ecosystem or, more simply, they were possibly overrun and destroyed. By the year 800, the city was uninhabited.  The remains found today have demonstrated the importance and greatness of its people. Much is said about the pyramids themselves, but there is also a very important feature in its buildings: the murals, which shows much of the religious life they led.

The site

At the center , the Calzada de los Muertos or The Way (or Alley) of the Dead, welcomes visitors. Then, La Ciudadela, the temples of Quetzalcoatl and Tlaloc line the way as you come to reach the first pyramid, the Pyramid of the Sun, one of the world’s largest with a base of 738 feet and a height of about 207 feet. The more daring tourists can climb up the long staircase, but be aware that the stairs are narrow and steep. At the end of the Calzada is the Pyramid of the Moon, which also can be climbed

There is a so-called Legend of the pyramids, which speaks of the area, and reads: “When all was darkness in the world, the gods gathered in what is now Teotihuacan and decided to bring light into this world, for which one was to be thrown into the fire as a sacrifice. Tecuciztecatl was appointed to be sacrificed, and if he did not throw himself into the fire, Nanahuatzin was named as his replacement. The two were to pray in different places and then present themselves for the test. Tecuciztecatl was not daring enough to plunge himself to sacrifice, so Nanahuatzin then leaped without hesitation.  Upon seeing this, Tecuciztecatl quickly followed, and the two then became the gods at the Sun and the Moon. To commemorate this momentous event, pyramids were erected in the places where these two heroes prayed before their acts of sacrifice.  Hence the name Pyramid of the Sun to the greater pyramid or Tonatiuh Itzacualli, which means House of the Sun, and the smaller pyramid named Pyramid of the Moon, or Meztli Itzacualli, which means House of the Moon.”

Teotihuacan has a site museum and just outside of the archeological area,  you will find places to eat and to buy souvenirs.  The site is full of magic and energy, so much so that with the coming of every spring, many people attend ceremonies here intended to recharge them for the whole year.

So get ready for a good walk with good walking shoes, sunscreen, plenty of water, and if you dare to climb the pyramids, remember that it’s not as easy as it looks.

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