ZONA ARQUEOLÓGICA DE TEOTIHUACÁN

In classical times, the immense city of Teotihuacán spread over a large part of the Mexican plateau, imposing an even more distant and lasting religious and cultural influence: towards the Gulf of Mexico (Totonaques), the state of Oaxaca (Zapotecs) and the South (Mayas of Palenque, Tikal and as far as Copán in Honduras). When the Aztecs discovered the ruins of this city, they believed that Teotihuacán had been built by a race of giants at the time of the first sun. As a result, they called it "the city of the gods", and it's even known that they converged there to perform rituals and religious ceremonies.

This pre-Hispanic site is one of the most extensively explored in Mesoamerica. Research and discoveries continue to bring their share of revelations over the years. In the ^18th century, the first excavations and explorations focused on the building backing onto the Píramide de la Luna. At the end of the 19th^century , the excavations carried out by don Leopoldo Batres focused on the buildings adjoining the Calzada de Los Muertos, where he uncovered frescoes and sculptures. In 1905, under the auspices of Porfirio Díaz, he focused on the Píramide del Sol to commemorate the centenary of the country's independence. A few years later, the inauguration of the country's first archaeological zone was celebrated, which would also become its international cultural and historical symbol. Since the 1960s, the site has been systematically and continuously explored. In 1987, Teotihuacan became the first site in the country to be listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In 2003, archaeologist Sergio Gomez stumbled upon the tunnel at la Serpiente Emplumada, the most important discovery of contemporary excavations.

The area open to the public is a 264-hectare extension, flanked by a paved circuit that circles it. The heart of the city includes the Ciudadela and the Templo de la Serpiente Emplumada, the Calzada de los Muertos and the residential complexes that border it, the Pirámides del Sol y de la Luna, the Palacio de Quetzalpapálotl and four complexes on which mural paintings have been found. Many are unaware that it is also possible to visit the underground part of the site by speaking with an official guide located at the park entrance.

It should be noted that the ancient city is located on a vast plot of land where shade is in very short supply. You'll need to bring something to protect yourself from the scorching sun at all hours of the day.