TENOCHTITLAN

'Tenochtitlan' or 'Mexico-Tenochtitlan' was the capital of the Aztec civilization, built on an island in Lake Texcoco in what is now the Distrito Federal in central Mexico. It was founded in 1325 when according to legend a tribe of Nahua people settled on the island following the commandment of their god Huitzilopochtli. By 1428 the Aztec state had emerged and Tenochtitlan was the most important city in Mesoamerica. At its height it was one of the largest cities in the world, with over 200,000 inhabitants.
The city was conquered in 1521 by Spanish conquistadors and 'Nueva España' was founded over the ruins of the aztec city. Over the time, 'Nueva España' became the modern Mexico City. Over the ensuing centuries, Lake Tenochtitlan has gradually been drained and modern day Mexico City covers most of the valley of Mexico. Last remaining of Lakes is the Xochimilco Lake, which is situated to the south of Mexico City. Location of City of Tenochtitlan corresponds to the historical center of Mexico City. The Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral was built in the ceremonial center of the Aztec city - and the adjacent Aztec main temple has been excavated and turned into a museum.

Contents

Geography

City plan

Marketplaces

Public buildings

Palaces of Moctezuma

Inhabitants

History

Ruins of Tenochtitlan

Footnotes

References

Geography

Tenochtitlan covered an estimated 8 to 13.4 square kilometers, situated on the western side of the shallow Lake Texcoco.
'In the time of spanish conquest Mexico City comprised Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco at the same time...
Since then the city extended from north to south from the north border of Tlatelolcco...to the swamps that were little by little diminishing until they disappeared....To the west, it ended more or less where currently is Bucareli street'(4).
It was connected to the mainland by causeways leading north, south, and west of the city. These causeways were interrupted by bridges that allowed canoes and other traffic to pass freely. The bridges could be pulled away if necessary to defend the city. The city itself was interlaced with a series of canals, so that all sections of the city could be visited either on foot or via canoe.
Lake Texcoco was the largest of the five interconnected lakes. An endorheic lake with no outlet, Lake Texcoco was brackish. During the reign of Moctezuma I, the "dike of Nezahualcoyotl" was constructed, reputedly designed by Nezahualcoyotl himself. Estimated to be between 12 and 16 kilometers in length, the dike was completed circa 1450; the dike kept the spring-fed fresh water in the waters around Tenochtitlan and kept the brackish waters beyond the dike, to the east.
Two double aqueducts, each more than four kilometres long and made of terra cotta,^[1] provided the city with fresh water from the springs at Chapultepec. This was intended mainly for cleaning and washing. For drinking, water from mountain springs was preferred. Most of the population liked to bathe twice a day; Moctezuma was said to take four baths a day. As soap they used the root of a plant called ''copalxocotl'' (saponaria americana); to clean their clothes they used the root of ''metl'', the maguey. Also, the upper classes and pregnant women enjoyed the ''temazcalli'', which was similar to a sauna bath and is still used in the south of Mexico; this was also popular in other Mesoamerican cultures.

City plan

The city was divided into four zones or ''campan'', each ''campan'' was divided on 20 districts (''calpullis'' (nahuatl ''calpōlli'')), and each ''calpulli'' was crossed by streets or ''tlaxilcalli''. There were three main streets that crossed the city, each leading to one of the three causeways to the mainland; Bernal Díaz del Castillo reported that they were wide enough for ten horses. The ''calpullis'' were divided by channels used for transportation, with wood bridges that were removed at night.
Each ''calpulli'' had some specialty in arts and craft. When each ''calpulli'' offered some celebration, they tried to outdo the other calpullis. Even today, in the south part of Mexico City, the community organizations in charge of church festivities are called "''calpullis''".

Marketplaces

Each ''calpulli'' had its own ''tiyanquiztli'' (marketplace), but there was also a main marketplace in Tlatelolco - Tenochtitlans sister city. Cortés estimated it was twice the size of the city of Seville with about 60,000 people, trading daily. Bernardino de Sahagún provides a more conservative population estimate of 20,000 on ordinary days and 40,000 on feast days. There were also specialized markets in the other central Mexican cities.

Public buildings

In the center of the city were the public buildings, temples and schools. Inside a walled square, 300 meters to a side, was the ceremonial center. There were about 45 public buildings including: the main temple, the temple of Quetzalcoatl, the ball game, the ''tzompantli'' or rack of skulls, the temple of the sun, the platforms for the gladiatorial sacrifice, and some minor temples. Outside was the palace of Moctezuma with 100 rooms, each one with its own bath, for the lords and ambassadors of allies and conquered people. Also located nearby was the ''cuicalli'' or house of the songs, and the ''calmecac''.
The city had a great symmetry. All constructions had to be approved by the ''calmimilocatl'', a functionary in charge of the city planning.

Palaces of Moctezuma

The palace of Moctezuma also had two houses or zoos, one for birds of prey and another for other birds, reptiles and mammals. About three hundred people were dedicated to the care of the animals. There was also a botanical garden and an aquarium. The aquarium had ten ponds of salt water and ten ponds of clear water, containing fish and aquatic birds. Places like this also existed in Texcoco,