In the 2nd century BC a new civilization arose in the valley of Mexico. This civilization built the flourishing metropolis of Teotihuacán and it’s huge pyramids. The Pyramid of the Sun was built around 100 AD and is the largest pyramid in Teotihuacán and all of Mexico. The construction of the smaller Pyramid of the Moon started a century later and was finished in 450 AD. Seven centuries after the demise of the Teotihuacán empire the pyramids were honored and utilized by the Aztecs and became a place of pilgrimage. Mesoamerica’s greatest city is just 31 miles (50km) northeast of Mexico City and can be reached by bus or taxi.
Teotihuacan /teɪˌoʊtiːwəˈkɑːn/,[1] also written Teotihuacán (Spanish pronunciation: [teotiwa'kan] (About this sound listen), About this sound modern Nahuatl pronunciation (help·info)), is an ancient Mesoamerican city located in a sub-valley of the Valley of Mexico, located in the State of Mexico 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of modern-day Mexico City, known today as the site of many of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids built in the pre-Columbian Americas.
At its zenith, perhaps in the first half of the 1st millennium AD, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas, with a population estimated at 125,000 or more,[2][3] making it at least the sixth largest city in the world during its epoch.[4]
Apart from the pyramids, Teotihuacan is also anthropologically significant for its complex, multi-family residential compounds, the Avenue of the Dead and the small portion of its vibrant murals that have been exceptionally well-preserved. Additionally, Teotihuacan exported fine obsidian tools that garnered high prestige and widespread usage throughout Mesoamerica.
The city is thought to have been established around 100 BC, with major monuments continuously under construction until about AD 250.[2] The city may have lasted until sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries AD, but its major monuments were sacked and systematically burned around AD 550.
Teotihuacan began as a new religious centre in the Mexican Highlands around the first century AD. This city came to be the largest and most populated centre in the pre-Columbian Americas. Teotihuacan was even home to multi-floor apartment compounds built to accommodate this large population.[2] The term Teotihuacan (or Teotihuacano) is also used for the whole civilization and cultural complex associated with the site.
Although it is a subject of debate whether Teotihuacan was the centre of a state empire, its influence throughout Mesoamerica is well documented; evidence of Teotihuacano presence can be seen at numerous sites in Veracruz and the Maya region. The later Aztecs saw these magnificent ruins and claimed a common ancestry with the Teotihuacanos, modifying and adopting aspects of their culture. The ethnicity of the inhabitants of Teotihuacan is also a subject of debate. Possible candidates are the Nahua, Otomi or Totonac ethnic groups. Scholars have also suggested that Teotihuacan was a multi-ethnic state.
The city and the archaeological site are located in what is now the San Juan Teotihuacán municipality in the State of México, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Mexico City. The site covers a total surface area of 83 square kilometres (32 sq mi) and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.[5] It is the most visited archaeological site in Mexico, receiving 4,185,017 visitors in 2017.
Teotihuacán, also known as the City of the Gods, is an archeological site 40 km northeast of Mexico City. Náhuatl for "the place where men became gods", Teotihuacán is home to some of the largest ancient pyramids in the world. According to legend, it was here where the gods gathered to plan the creation of man.
Understand
Teotihuacán was the largest Pre-Columbian city in the Americas, reaching a total population of 150,000 at its height. The name also refers to the civilization this city dominated, which at its greatest extent included most of Mesoamerica.
Construction of Teotihuacán commenced around 300 BC, with the Pyramid of the Sun built by 150 BC. 150–450 AD.
Many of the artifacts from the site have prudently been moved to National Anthropological Museum, in Mexico City. Elevation: 2,300m/7482f
Get in
By car
it takes about 45 minutes from the center of Mexico City if you use the toll highway. It takes much longer, but is a more interesting trip, if you use the old free road. There is a small fee for parking at the site. A taxi may be prohibitively expensive, though if you want the convenience, sometimes "tours" with a car and driver/guide can be arranged for a reasonable fee.
By Uber - In the morning, the fare will be from 700 --> 1,000 pesos depending on surge pricing. For Uber, enter in the address 'Zona Arqueológica de Teotihuacan Estacionamiento Puerta 1, State of Mexico'. Be sure also to specifically tell the Uber to take the toll road before you leave if coming from Mexico City. (la carretera de cuota). Uber drivers will often follow a map blindly so show them a picture of the map route with your phone and it should show freeway 132D taken. You will be dropped off at a gate where you buy your ticket then walk in. When coming back, the fare is cheaper in the afternoon, around 400 pesos and there is some reception outside the gate of door 3 outside of the Pyramid of the Moon.
Reference:
1. touropia
2. wikitravel
3. wikipedia
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