Oaxaca de Juárez, known also as Oaxaca City, is the capital of the Mexican State
of Oaxaca founded by the Ahuízotl in 1486. The city is located
in the Central Valleys and it is the most longest and populated of the State of
Oaxaca both commercially and economically. Oaxaca de Juárez is located 547 kilometres south-eastern
of Mexico City at an altitude of about 5,000 feet and sited over a fertile valley with
a semi-warm and arid climate and rains in summer. The metropolitan area of Oaxaca
includes 17 municipalities extended over 33 square miles.
Night view of the Zócalo, Oaxaca
In 1532, Oaxaca de Juárez received the name of Noble and loyal city
by the Spanish King Carlos V taking the name of Antequera, but
in 1821 it was replaced by Oaxaca, being a word derived by the
Náhuatl which means in the nose of the gourdes because of the city
is located in the top of the mountains with gourdes trees. Finally, in 1872, according
to the death of Benito Juárez, the city was named Oaxaca de Juárez.
Despite there was a conflict between the Zapotecs, Mexicas and Mixtecos in 1520,
this ended when the Spaniards arrived. The first Spanish who arrived in Oaxaca was
Francisco de Orozco in 1521, which came here looking for gold. Afterwards many fights
and success with the native settlers, in 1528 Oaxaca was recognized as Nueva
Antequera Village.
Nowadays, the city has become a tourism zone because of its Historical Centre and
Monte Albán Archaeological Site, which both were declared World Heritage
by Unesco in 1987. And it is also place of the famous festivity the Guelaguetza,
a religious celebration that joins seven regions of the State in dances for the
Virgin Carmen; as same as the Night of the Radishes celebration.
Some other tourist attractions are Santo Domingo de Guzmán Temple with the baroque
Mexican style, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Oaxaca, La Soledad Basilica. Also, a tourism attraction is the principal Plaza de la Constitución,
known as Zócalo which has been built in 1529 by Alonso García installing
a modern city in concordance with the Spanish cities at those times and planting
ash trees as same as its gorgeous fountain. There are also historic constructions
such as Espacio de Diversidad Palace and Museum, the Mercadores Portal, the Alameda
de León Garden, the Andador Macedonio Alcalá street, Museum of Contemporary Art
and the Parish of the Precious Blood of Christ.
Among their typical traditions, there most popular is the Día de Muertos
(Day of the Dead), a ceremony in which is invoked the ancestor’s spirits in order
to ask them to coexist in our world smothering them with attentions.