500 Years Later, Adventure In The Land of Aztecs - Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Tenochtitlan
(Continued from Chapter One)
"In the course of human history, the conqueror humiliates the conquered by building a monument glorifying their conquest over the heart & soul of its new subjects."
-Sayu Rinpoche
The Romans burnt down Jerusalem's famous temple and built the Arch of Titus glorifying the conquest of Israel. The Ottomans, while didn't physically destroy Hagia Sophia, turned the greatest church building in the world at the time into a mosque. When the Russians took over Königsberg, the former capital of East Prussia, not only did they change its name to Kaliningrad (to honour Soviet revolutionary Mikhail Kalinin), they also blew up the city's landmark Königsberg Castle and built the ugliest building you could ever imagine - The House of Soviets (please google the picture).
The Spanish conquistadors also did the same to the Aztec civilization. They destroyed the grandest Pre-Columbian temple (today known as "Templo Mayor") in Tenochtitlan and built a pretty impressive cathedral to show the Aztec people who's in charge. It was believed that the Spanish purposely built the new cathedral right on the ruins of Templo Mayor. The Spanish colonial government never denied it.
Eventually the Spanish rule faded away in the land of Aztecs. The new Mexican people began to wonder about the old temple destroyed by the Spaniards, but remembered by generations of their forefathers. A group of archeologists started to dig around the Metropolitan Cathedral.
They found nothing indicating that there was once a massive temple standing on the same spot as the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Could everything be a myth?
February 21st, 1978
When electric workers were working around an affluent neighbourhood in the city centre, they have found something extraordinary: A giant pre-Columbian monolith depicting Coyolxauhqui, an ancient goddess. The place was once known as the "Island of Dogs"- because whenever the city got flooded, wild dogs would gather at this place that was unusually higher than its surrounding area. Archeologists had long suspected that there was something very interesting buried under this unusual hill. However, the affluent residents of the neighbourhood had long refused requests for excavation.
The discovery of the monolith changed everything. The site immediately became something of a national importance - something that would have a great impact on the Mexican identity and history. With the intervention of the Mexican government, the excavation work was able to start. Finally, as more building foundations and convincing artifacts surfaced, the site was formally declared the location of Templo Mayor.
While not directly underneath the Metropolitan Cathedral, the ruin now posts a sharp contrast to the cathedral - one symbolizes and glorifies European colonization, the other symbolizes the price the indigenous people of the Americas had to pay.
Templo Mayor and its surrounding were once Aztec and Pre-Columbian Mexica's beating heart. Today, the area around the ruins- known as the Zocalo, continues to be the beating heart of modern Mexico. The Metropolitan cathedral is considered Mexico's national church building, and the presidential palace is right adjacent to it.
When I arrived at the Cathedral, it was near the sunset hours. I figured I would go explore Zocalo on a different day. If you remember from the prologue, I came to the city on a red-eye flight. The next day, my exploration would continue north beyond the Valley of Mexico, into the territory lesser known by the rulers of Aztec empire.
[Click here to read my adventure in Guanajuato]
I was tired and I needed to wake up early to catch a bus. The adventure, however, was far from over.
(To Be Continued)
Tenochtitlan
(Continued from Chapter One)
"In the course of human history, the conqueror humiliates the conquered by building a monument glorifying their conquest over the heart & soul of its new subjects."
-Sayu Rinpoche
The Romans burnt down Jerusalem's famous temple and built the Arch of Titus glorifying the conquest of Israel. The Ottomans, while didn't physically destroy Hagia Sophia, turned the greatest church building in the world at the time into a mosque. When the Russians took over Königsberg, the former capital of East Prussia, not only did they change its name to Kaliningrad (to honour Soviet revolutionary Mikhail Kalinin), they also blew up the city's landmark Königsberg Castle and built the ugliest building you could ever imagine - The House of Soviets (please google the picture).
 |
| Templo Mayor and its surrounding before the Spanish conquest |
The Spanish conquistadors also did the same to the Aztec civilization. They destroyed the grandest Pre-Columbian temple (today known as "Templo Mayor") in Tenochtitlan and built a pretty impressive cathedral to show the Aztec people who's in charge. It was believed that the Spanish purposely built the new cathedral right on the ruins of Templo Mayor. The Spanish colonial government never denied it.
 |
| Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City |
Eventually the Spanish rule faded away in the land of Aztecs. The new Mexican people began to wonder about the old temple destroyed by the Spaniards, but remembered by generations of their forefathers. A group of archeologists started to dig around the Metropolitan Cathedral.
 |
| Metropolitan Cathedral still stands as one of the symbols of Mexico City |
They found nothing indicating that there was once a massive temple standing on the same spot as the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Could everything be a myth?
February 21st, 1978
When electric workers were working around an affluent neighbourhood in the city centre, they have found something extraordinary: A giant pre-Columbian monolith depicting Coyolxauhqui, an ancient goddess. The place was once known as the "Island of Dogs"- because whenever the city got flooded, wild dogs would gather at this place that was unusually higher than its surrounding area. Archeologists had long suspected that there was something very interesting buried under this unusual hill. However, the affluent residents of the neighbourhood had long refused requests for excavation.
 |
| The area around Metropolitan Cathedral is full of grand colonial style buildings. The government had to make the choice: Excavate the temple or preserve the historical colonial buildings |
The discovery of the monolith changed everything. The site immediately became something of a national importance - something that would have a great impact on the Mexican identity and history. With the intervention of the Mexican government, the excavation work was able to start. Finally, as more building foundations and convincing artifacts surfaced, the site was formally declared the location of Templo Mayor.
 |
| Aztec ritual dance performance in the former heart of the Aztec civilization |
While not directly underneath the Metropolitan Cathedral, the ruin now posts a sharp contrast to the cathedral - one symbolizes and glorifies European colonization, the other symbolizes the price the indigenous people of the Americas had to pay.
 |
| View of Metropolitan Cathedral from the location of the ruins |
Templo Mayor and its surrounding were once Aztec and Pre-Columbian Mexica's beating heart. Today, the area around the ruins- known as the Zocalo, continues to be the beating heart of modern Mexico. The Metropolitan cathedral is considered Mexico's national church building, and the presidential palace is right adjacent to it.
 |
| Presidential Palace of Mexico and the Zocalo square |
When I arrived at the Cathedral, it was near the sunset hours. I figured I would go explore Zocalo on a different day. If you remember from the prologue, I came to the city on a red-eye flight. The next day, my exploration would continue north beyond the Valley of Mexico, into the territory lesser known by the rulers of Aztec empire.
[Click here to read my adventure in Guanajuato]
I was tired and I needed to wake up early to catch a bus. The adventure, however, was far from over.
(To Be Continued)
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