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Pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan – ruins of one of first great classic Mesoamerican civilizations, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Baku, October 18, AZERTAC

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries A.D., the holy city of Teotihuacan is situated some 50 km north-east of Mexico City.
It is characterized by the vast size of its monuments – in particular, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, laid out on geometric and symbolic principles.
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.
As one of the most powerful cultural centres in Mesoamerica, Teotihuacan extended its cultural and artistic influence throughout the region, and even beyond.
Teotihuacan and its valley bear unique testimony to the pre-urban structures of ancient Mexico.
Human occupation of the valley of Teotihuacan began before the Christian era, but it was only between the 1st and the 7th centuries A.D. that the settlement developed into one of the largest ancient cities in the Americas, with at least 25,000 inhabitants.
The city’s urban plan integrated natural elements of the Teotihuacan Valley, such as the San Juan River, whose course was altered to cross the Avenue of the Dead. 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.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the city is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico, receiving over 4 million visitors annually.

Culture 2022-10-18 19:02:00