All About World Heritage Sites
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Got 3 days in Mexico City? Follow Nellie Huang’s detailed Mexico City itinerary to delve deep into the city’s rich culinary culture and history. It’s massive, energetic, and frankly, misunderstood. For years, Mexico City had a bad reputation for its ties with drug lords and the cartel. As the 6th largest city in the world by population (home to almost 21 million people), the high-octane megalopolis can be pretty damn overwhelming.
Here’s a roundup of the top five destinations for those planning to visit Mexico.
Source: 5 Best Tourist Spots In Mexico
Discover the unique history of Teotihuacan’s pyramids, a UNESCO site, as well as the tips on best things to do in Teotihuacan when visiting from Mexico City.
It’s a toss-up whether Mexico City outnumbers Paris in terms of museums…
Source: Me Gusta Mexico City
Imagine a renaissance city where revolutionary ideas in urban planning, politics, economy, ecology and the arts all arose at the same time, creating a high standard of living that was largely equitable for nearly all residents.It’s hard to imagine even by today’s standards, yet one ancient Mesoamerican city seemed to have achieved that status, for a time, and the archaeological remnants from that period and location are available for research and discovery today.
The traveling exhibition of recently excavated objects from the ancient Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan will be on view at Phoenix Art Museum.
Source: Phoenix Art Museum Presents Never-Before-Seen Artifacts of Teotihuacan
“City and Cosmos: The Arts of Teotihuacan” is on exhibit until July 16 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), focusing on the ancient city (pronounced tay-OH-tee-wah-cahn) 25 miles northeast of Mexico City, best-known for its three massive pyramids (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It was founded about 200 B.C., partially burned around 550 A.D. (probably during an internal rebellion), and occupied as late as the 8th century. It reached its peak in 450, when its multi-ethnic population was at least 150,000 and its influence had spread widely throughout central and southern Mexico and as far as Honduras. It was in ruins when the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico around 1300 A.D. and they gave it a name, meaning “birthplace of the gods,” since they believed this was where the universe was created.
At the entry to the new special exhibition is a description of Teotihuacan’s militaristic culture and religion, which put a premium on human sacrifice to keep the cosmos in balance.
Read more from source: Art Of The Ancient Mexican City Of Teotihuacan Opens At The Los Angeles County Museum Of Art
Teotihuacan was one of the great ancient cities of the Americas. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Mexico’s most frequently visited ruin, it remains one of the Americas’ greatest mysteries.
About 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, Teotihuacan dates back as early as 200 B.C., reached its peak around 450 A.D. with a population that exceeded 100,000, and then began to decline. It was eventually sacked and burned by outside invaders in the sixth century.
Through July 15, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is presenting “City and Cosmos: The Arts of Teotihuacan” in its Resnick Pavilion. It’s an amazing collection of beautiful, hand-carved, often mystical work. Some of the artifacts have never before been seen in the United States. And some objects have never been seen, period, since they were buried in a secret passageway between 100 A.D. and 250.
The objects — made of stone, ceramic, shell, obsidian, jade, marble and other materials — shed light on the culture, arts and traditions of a people who occupied what was once the biggest city in Mesoamerica.
Read more from source: Marvels of Ancient Mexico at LACMA | Artinfo
After San Cristobal we decided to do a few cultural things for a change, so headed to the UNESCO world heritage site of Teotihuacan, near Mexico City. Now as you may know, neither of us has much stamina for walking around archaeological sites, but this place is probably the most visited tourist spot in Mexico, so we felt somewhat compelled to see it. We knew it would be very busy and hot, so we got an admirably early start (by our standards!) and were glad we did as it was quite manageable in terms of crowds and temperature. The first structures of Teotihuacan are believed to have risen around 200 B.C. and the site gradually flourished into a Pre-Hispanic city of more than 150,000 citizens at its zenith. The site’s main features are two enormous pyramids; the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon, both of which we climbed (quite a workout at 7000+ feet above sea level!).
Visit the pyramids of Teotihuacan – City of the Gods – on this archeological tour from Mexico City with a specialized guide. You get to choose between a morning access or an afternoon entrance to witness the sunset on this majestic area.
If you select the Morning Access, when your guide meets you early in the morning, head just 30 miles (48 km) from Mexico City to Teotihuacan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Commonly referred to as the City of the Gods, this pre-Columbian Mesoamerican city is known for its well-preserved murals, vast Avenue of the Dead and the impressive pyramids that mark its landscape.Arrive at the archeological park before the crowds in the early morning just as it begins to open its gates. Take in the serene and mystical atmosphere as your group meanders through large empty plazas in the absence of the crowds and explore the pyramids. Follow your guide to a variety of less-visited monuments in the complex as well as to famous structures like the Palace of Quetzalpapalot and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl – also called the Temple of the Feathered Serpent – the third largest pyramid at Teotihuacan.
Two memorable day trips from Mexico City, Teohuatican Pyramid complex and the water gardens of Xochomilco, which offer history and relaxation for visitors.
It is not uncommon for visitors to Mexico City to squeeze in a day trip or two.
If you have just a couple of days, I would suggest that you select Teotihuacan (pronounced Teo-thi-wa-kan) as your first pick with Xochimilco (So-chi-mil-ko) coming in a distant second.
Both places are deserving UNESCO World Heritage sites and Teotihuacan is guaranteed to take your breath away.
Our guide Jorge Mendoza (contact jorgemendozaturismo@live.com or + 52 55 3660 8182), a remarkable storyteller, provided the historical and cultural contexts to the places we visited.
As with other civilizations around the world, the Mesoamericans worshipped the forces of nature and the Sun had a special place in their pantheon because it sustained all life force.
Pyramids Doubled as Altars
From the mountains of Morelos to charming Cholula and ancient pyramids, there are dazzling experiences within a one- to two-hour drive from Mexico City.
While there is almost too much to see and do in Mexico City to keep the even the most active tourist busy, it can sometimes be an overwhelming place. With that in mind, scheduling in a day trip or two — and even a quick overnight jaunt — outside of the city can be a great way to experience more of Mexico’s amazing cultural landscape while taking a break from the city’s frenetic pace. From the mountains of Morelos to charming Cholula and ancient pyramids, there are dazzling experiences within a one- to two-hour drive from Mexico City. Read on for a few of our favorites.
The Pyramids of Teotihuacan
The pyramids and plazas of Teotihuacan were part of a powerful urban center.
More than a thousand years ago, Teotihuacan was one of Mesoamerica’s most powerful urban centers.
Now it’s one of the world’s most important archaeological sites, its pyramids and plazas just as impressive as they must have been then.
Teotihuacan’s time as the ancient Americas’ most densely populated city is long gone, but the city’s splendor is still alive at San Francisco’s de Young Museum, which is hosting a major exhibition on the ancient city.
“Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire” takes visitors through recent archaeological discoveries, including a sculpture-packed tunnel that provides clues to the city’s significance. It also delves into the history and culture of what was once North America’s most majestic city. (It lies about 25 miles from Mexico City.)
The Nocturnal Experience in Teotihuacan – a projection-mapping experience at this world-famous, UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site – is set to shine again in November, reviving the grandeur of this Mexican archaeological site, thanks to Cocolab and Christie.
Each 45-minute show consists of a number of visuals projected onto the impressive Pyramid of the Sun, then along the Avenue of the Dead and finally reaching the Pyramid of the Moon. A total of 19 Christie Roadie 4K45 projectors illuminated the site with 20 million different color tones, enlivening the projection-mapping show, which is accompanied by the voice of a narrator telling the history of the Teotihuacan culture.
Mexico City (October 10, 2017) – Seen by more than 45,000 spectators since its inauguration a year-and-a-half ago,Nocturnal Experience in Teotihuacan – a projection-mapping experience at this world-famous, UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site – is set to shine again in November, reviving the grandeur of this Mexican archaeological site, thanks to Cocolab, a company specialising in multimedia technology, and Christie®.
Each 45-minute show consists of a number of visuals projected onto the impressive Pyramid of the Sun, then along the Avenue of the Dead and finally reaching the Pyramid of the Moon. A total of 19 Christie Roadie 4K45 projectors illuminated the site with 20 million different color tones, enlivening the projection-mapping show, which is accompanied by the voice of a narrator telling the history of the Teotihuacan culture.
The mysterious Teotihuacán Pyramids were built around 100 BC as the centerpiece of an enormous ancient city that is often compared to ancient Rome. They were inexplicably abandoned centuries before the arrival of the Aztecs, who called the ancient architectural marvel the Birthplace of the Gods. This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in North America with its stone temples populated with rich and detailed stone statues and faded paintings but is less-visited than other Mexican sites.
The Basics
Neither the Aztecs nor modern archaeologists have unraveled all the secrets of these massive ruins, presided over by the third-largest pyramid in the world. Constructed according to precise astronomical measurements and filled with the bodies of sacrificial victims, Teotihuacán was perhaps a place where rituals were performed to keep the end of the world at bay.
Alongside black holes and boxes with question marks on, pyramids are among the most mysterious objects we know of. Recurring throughout history, pyramids tell us about how human society, ingenuity and ideology developed, and are so evocative they continue to influence architecture today. Here are 5 of the best pyramids from around the world:
1. Huaca Prieta, Peru
Huaca Prieta was mainly constructed out of mounded earth and is one of the largest and earliest pyramids in South America. Located where the Chicama River meets the Pacific Ocean, Huaca Prieta is home to one of the most important anthropological discoveries in the world.
Though it may lack the grandeur of the Egyptian pyramids it trumps them on cultural significance, as over the years archaeologists have made several ground-breaking discoveries.
Chances are, you have seen images of Chichen Itza or Palenque, the stunning archeological remains of grand Mayan cities in Mexico. Perhaps you’ve even visited these sites at some point. Considerably less well-known, though, is Teotihuacan, or “the place where the gods were created.” In my mind, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Teotihuacan is western hemisphere’s ultimate pyramid city, vastly more impressive than even its more famous brethren on the Yucatan peninsula. Only 10% of the city has been excavated – and it is still enough to cause the most seasoned traveler to gape in astonishment.
Teotihuacan is located in central Mexico, only about an hour bus ride from Mexico City, making it a perfect day trip destination. It features a large array of remarkably well-preserved pyramids, temples ornately adorned with art, grand boulevards interwoven with remnants of centuries-old streets, and numerous marketplaces.
