Quetzalcóatl Temple

Teotihuacan is a vast archaeological complex northeast of Mexico City. Believed to be built and occupied between 1 AD and 500 AD, it was the largest city in the Americas. It's considered to be the first advanced civilization on the North American continent. Teotihuacan is known today as the site of some of the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids. With names like the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Moon, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Avenue of the Dead, I was very keen to check it out.

Ever since my earlier travels to places like Machu Pichu in Peru and Tikal in Guatemala, I’ve been interested in the Incan, Mayan, and Aztec civilizations. Although, admittedly, I’ve never really got my head around how they all fit in together, and in which epochs. So the chance to visit this sight was another great opportunity.

It turns out, as we were told by our tour guide, that neither the Aztecs nor the Mayans built Teotihuacan. It was built by an earlier civilisation known as the Teotihuacanos who deserted it and disappeared before the Aztecs discovered it 1000 years later. And the name Teotihuacanos was apparently given to them by the Aztecs. Confused yet?! To add to the mystery, the names of the Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon, and Avenue of the Dead weren’t the original names of these monuments. They’re the modern names used for them, so likely have no relation to the original purpose of their construction!

So basically, we spent the morning walking around the site in awe of the magnitude of these constructions but with no greater understanding of the who, when, and why they were built. Not to mention still being unable to say the name 😂. What is certain though, is that these places always impress me. Always leaving me with more questions than when I arrive.Read more