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Model of the Ceremonial Precinct of Mexico-Tenochtitlan
Departing from their homeland of Aztlan and after a long pilgrimage, the Mexica arrived at Lake Texcoco, at the site foreseen --according to foundation myth-- by their patron god Huitzilopochtli. There they built his first temple, a simple structure made of mud and wood. With the passage of time, they constructed other temples dedicated to this and other gods, based on their cosmovision or view of the universe.
This sacred space was enclosed in a great plaza, and it grew as the Mexica became more powerful, until it became the most important ceremonial center in Mesoamerica at the time of the arrival of the Spaniards. At its peak, the Sacred Precinct had seventy-eight buildings, according to Fray Bernardino de Sahagún. Nevertheless, the Templo Mayor was always the tallest structure, pre-eminent in all periods; it is the largest construction near the back of the model. Rescued from the depths of the earth, the remains of the Great Temple stand just outside the Museum; remember, at this moment we are now at the Center of the Universe.
Hole 1 of the Museum of Templo Mayor is currently remodeling, therefore there is no page available.
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Last Modified: January 11, 1998.
Museo del Templo Mayor, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e História, México.
Seminario #8, Centro Histórico. Cuauhtémoc, México, D.F. 06060
©Copyright 1997
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