 |
|
 |
At the very center of Tenochtitlan, just beyond the palaces of the city's elite, the Aztecs constructed their sacred precinct. Here, priests—both male and female—performed rituals and gave offerings to hundreds of deities.
A magnificent, walled compound of more than 70 buildings, the sacred precinct marked the heart of the Aztec world. A few of its most important structures included:
 |
 The Templo Mayor
Dominating the precinct was the Templo Mayor (Great Temple), which stood at the center of the Aztec cosmos. Here, Aztec priests re-enacted the mythological deeds of their gods in sacred rituals.
The Aztecs dedicated this temple to two central deities: Huitzilopochtli [wheet-see-lo-POACHT-lee], god of war and the sun, and Tlaloc [TLAH-lok], god of rain. The double design of the Templo Mayor reflects the Aztec’s fascination with dualities: fire and water, light and darkness, death and life.
|
|
 Queztalcoatl's Temple
Within Tenochtitlan's sacred precinct, Quetzalcoatl's temple held a place of honor in front of the Templo Mayor. A round structure, the temple may have served as a solar observatory.
The Aztecs recognized Quetzalcoatl [ket-sah-co-AHT] or “Feathered Serpent” as a creator deity and credited him with inventing the arts, calendars, and even humans. He was so esteemed that the highest ranking priests at the Templo Mayor held the title of “Quetzalcoatl.” |
The sacred precinct contained several other major temples, as well as buildings dedicated to coronation and funerary rites, schooling of priests, and ritual bathing.
Continue through High Priests: Science of Aztec Construction. >>
|
|
|
|
