Tenochtitlán, also known as Mexica-Tenochtitlán, was a large Mexica city-state in what is now the center of México City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date March 13, 1325, was chosen in 1925 to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the city. The city was built on an island in what was then Lake Texcoco in the Valley of México. The city was the capital of the expanding Aztec Empire in the 15th century until it was captured by the Spanish in 1521.
At its peak, it was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas. It subsequently became a cabecera of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Today, the ruins of Tenochtitlán are in the historic center of the Mexican capital. The World Heritage Site of Xochimilco contains what remains of the geography (water, boats, floating gardens) of the Mexica capital.
Tenochtitlán was one of two Mexica āltēpetl (city-states or polities) on the island, the other being Tlatelolco.
View over Tenochtitlán. (1118k) View over Tenochtitlán. (1498k) View over Tenochtitlán. (1408k) View over Tenochtitlán. (1467k) Main temple. (1293k) Shrine of the Rain God Tlāloc. (1196k) Painted chac-mool sculture with attributes of the Rain God Tlāloc. (1049k) Painted sculture. (1083k) Painted structure in the Shrine of the Rain God Tlāloc. (1097k) Stairs to the House of the Eagles flanked by eagle heads. (1312k) Close-up of one of the eagle heads. (1437k) Inside the House of the Eagles. (1177k) Inside the House of the Eagles. (1208k) Decorations in the House of the Eagles. (934k) Stone-carved frieze in the House of the Eagles. (1010k) Stone-carved frieze in the House of the Eagles. (1035k) Stone-carved frieze in the House of the Eagles. (797k) Stone-carved frieze in the House of the Eagles. (1129k) Stone-carved frieze in the House of the Eagles. (1293k) Stone-carved frieze in the House of the Eagles. (1160k) North Red Temple, with remnants of red paint. (1120k) South Red Temple, with remnants of red paint. (997k) Tzompantli Altar with 240 skull sculptures. (1486k) Closer view of the skull sculptures. (1.5M) Huītzilōpōchtli Braziers. (1.6M) Huītzilōpōchtli Brazier. (1.7M) Basalt snake head. (1.6M) Tlāloc Brazier and basalt snake head. (1206k) Tlāloc Brazier. (1122k) Commemorative stone on the temple. The date is "1 Rabbit", equivalent to the year 1454 when Moctezuma I ruled. (1.7M) Commemorative stone on the temple. The date is "4 Cane", equivalent to the year 1431 when Itzcoatl ruled. (1498k) Serpent sculpture. (1.7M) Serpent heads. (1.6M) Painted serpent head. (1356k) Painted serpent head. (1413k) Structure with frog statues. (1.6M) Small frog statue. (1412k) Snake head-shaped water drain. (1195k) Stone statues. (1.6M) Structures in Tenochtitlán. (1402k) Structures in Tenochtitlán. (1.7M) Sculpture of Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent God of the Aztecs. (1025k) Stone statue. (849k) Stone statue. (737k) Stone statue. (837k) Stone statue. (742k) Stone statue. (942k) Stone-carved frieze. (1.8M) Stone-carved frieze. (1268k) Stone-carved frieze. (1220k) Pottery figurine. (831k) Figurine. (858k) Figurines and decorated pottery. (940k) Funeral urn with depiction of the God Tezcatlipoca (15th century). (880k) Large altar. (1.5M) Altar. (874k) Monolith dedicated to the God Tlaltecuhtli. (1378k) Close-up of the head on the monolith. (1145k) Close-up of the monolith showing the color remnants. (908k)
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