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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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“Awe-inspiring and extensive.” |
The guide books all tell us that this is a must-see site - and rightly so. The sheer scale of the site is awe-inspiring, and demands a good deal of energy and most of the day. The central axis along which all the main buildings are laid out, known as the Avenue of the Dead, is over 2 kms long and there are no trees under which to shelter from the heat of the day.
The Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon were the earliest structures to be built on this site, around 1-150 AD. Most of the rest of the structures which are visible on the site today were built around 200-400 AD, and it was during this period of rapid growth that Teotihuacan became one of the largest and most important political centres in Mesoamerica, with its influence extending throughout the entire region.
At its peak (400-650 AD) it is thought that the city sustained in excess of 200,000 inhabitants and this would have made it the 6th largest city in the world at that time. The city was heavily dependant on several trading routes for its economy and when these became interrupted the number of inhabitants reduced to about 85,000. In 750 AD many of the buildings in the centre burned down and from then onwards Teotihuacan lost its position as the number 1 political player in Mesoamerica.
After 1000 AD the city was finally abandoned.
One of the most important sacred areas within the city of Teotihuacan is that comprised by the Pyramid of the Moon, its broad plaza and pyramidal buildings and other structures that make up the group as a whole. It holds a strategic position in the overall urban plan as it is the starting point for the city's main road, the Avenue of the Dead (Calzada de los Muertos). Because this area has an unrestricted view, it is thought that the area was used for public ceremonies to which admittance was unrestricted. The buildings on either side of the axis of the Avenue of the Dead are arranged symmetrically.
Pyramid of the Sun
Templo de Quetzalcoatl
To be continued...
previous travel blog entry
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