Tenochtitlán, the ancient capital of the Aztec Empire, is also known as Temixtitán
or Temistitlán. As a powerful city, it had to conquer the surrounding
altepetls or Water Mountains with about 500,000 settle man during its peak until 1521, when the Spanish conquers, commanded by Hernán Cortés, got
to subjugate it.
The city was found as a part of Lacustrine System of the Mexican Basin, into an
artificially made islet in the Texcoco Lake with hydraulic work and artificial lands
called chinampas, gardens in rectangular plots divided by canals.
Basically, Tenochtitlán was ruled by a tlatoani, who was a post
held for life and its social structure was classified by social classes; the nobles
were the most privileged including the army people, traders and priests; while the low class were the artisans, low-range army, common people, carriers and slaves.
During its peak, Tenochtitlán covered about 13 square kilometres at the west of
the shallow Lake Texcoco. By the time when the Spanish arrived, they comprised Tenochtitlán
and Tlatelolco in what is now Mexico City; but initially, Tenochtitlán was connected
by causeways leading north, south and west of the city, and interlaced by canals
used either on foot or via canoe.
The Dike of Nezahualcoyotl, the most important building, was constructed
by the ruler Moctezuma I and designed by Nezahualcoyotl himself. This piece of engineering
is estimated in between 12 and 16 kilometres of length, used to keep the spring fresh
water in the waters around the city.
Through two double aqueducts of about 4kilometres long each, the city of Chapultepec
was provided with fresh water used mainly for cleaning and washing, because most
of the populations liked to take a bath twice a day, using the root of copalxocotl
as soap and the root of maguey as washing soap; furthermore, high-class
and pregnant woman delighted to take a bath in temazcalli, or sauna bath,
which is still used in some Mesoamerican cultures. Besides, for drinking, the city
populations preferred the water from the mountain springs.
Geographically, Tenochtitlán was divided in four zones, each divided on 20 districts
or calpullis, and each was intersected by streets. The most important
streets were three; which according to Bernal Díaz del Castillo, were wide enough
for ten horses. Furthermore, the calpullis had a specialty in arts and crafts, being
able to compete with some other calpullis; the calpullis were separated by transportation
channels and wood bridges which, every night, were removed for security.
Additionally, each district had an own tiyanquiztli or marketplace, and also a principal
market in Tlatelolco, of which when Cortéz saw it, he described as a twice of size
building of the city of Sevilla in Spain, with almost 60,000 people trading and
buying daily.
Tenochtitlán had about 15 public schools, buildings and temples; and the most important
into a walled square, the Ceremonial Center. It included also the Main Temple, the
Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Ball Game Court, the Rack of Skulls or Tzompantli, The
Temple of the Sun, The Gladiatorial Sacrifice Platforms, and minor temples. In the
outside, there were the Palace of Moctezuma with 100 rooms with its own bath, constructed
for ambassadors and lords of either conquered people or allies. In conclusion, the
city was distributed in a fabulous symmetry approved by the city planner.
Despite of the destruction of the Spanish conquer Cortés all over the city, nowadays
is able to see some of the ruins founded in the 1970’s during the construction of
the Mexican metro-line. This construction was part of the Main Temple
or Templo Mayor.
On October 12, 1987 the construction of the Museum of the Main Temple
was inaugurated and opened to the public, just three blocks from the Zócalo o Plaza
de la Constitución. Here, the ruins are visible walking through the runways surrounding
the archaeological complex; however, some parts are covered from the sun in order
to protect the mural paintings over some walls.
The way to visit the museum is taking the Line 2 in the Mexican Metro Line at the
station, and it is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm for
tourists; and Sundays is open with free entrance for Mexican people and residents.
History
As a capital of the Aztec civilization, Tenochtitlán was formed by Mexica people
founded in 1325. According to the Tira de la Peregrinación and the Mexican mythology,
the Aztecs leaved Aztlán commanded by its ruler Tenoch, who had
the assignment of Huitzilopochtli of found the empire only in the place
where an
eagle had to be on the top of a cactus eating a serpent.
Scale Model of Tenochtitlán
The Aztecs found the city over the principal islands of Tenochtitlán and Tlatelolco,
as same as over Mixiuhca, Tultenco, Zoquiapan, Temascaltitlan and Iliaca; joining
all of
them through chinampa systems during the 15th and 16th
centuries. Besides
of Aztecs, Tenochtitlán was also habituated by a hidden group of mexicas-tlattelolcas,
finally conquered in 1473.
In 1376, the settlers of this ancient Aztec city, asked for a ruler being Acamapichtli
the first ruler, but about years later, the people asked for another one, being
Itzcóatl the one who established Tenochtitlán as an independent
city. From 1486, the ruler Ahuitzotl, the city was rebuilt into
a style that converted Tenochtitlán in one of the greatest ever in Middle
America.
When the Spanish conquers arrived in Tenochtitlán on November8, 1519 commanded by
Hernán Cortés, the city was one of the largest in the world; for some Spaniards
the city was the biggest that they had ever seen. Apparently, it is estimate that
there were over 200,000 people living on this land of about 13 square kilometres.
Finally, Cortés and his man conquered the city on August 13, 1521, after a siege
that lasted months in which much of the city was destroyed starting the Fall
of Tenochtitlán.
Afterwards, Cortés started and directed the systematic destruction of the city,
planning at the same time its rebuilding including the central area for Spanish
use. While in the outer Indian section, what is now know as San Juan Tenochtitlán,
Cortés allowed to be governed by indigenous elite, and later it was divided in subdivisions
with the same name, but adding the Spanish catholic prefixes of
saints such as san.