Templo Mayor

Characteristics

Height: 60m/197ft
The gods: Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc
Distinctives: A double temple
Completed: 1497
Materials: Built of stone and covered with stucco and polychrome paint

Construction Facts

There were seven major building phases of the construction of Templo Mayor began with a simple structure, probably dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. It was built in 1325 when Tenochtitlan was founded. Subsequently, the Templo Mayor grew enormously both in elaboration and size resulting in the impressive structure seen by the Spaniards in 1519. Reconstructions and enlargements of the temple were sometimes necessary because of the unstable lakebed on which it was built and flooding. However, enlargements and reconstruction was the result of successive powerful rulers who enhanced the temple to celebrate their own coronations, to honor the gods, and to validate the power of the Aztec empire. What is considered as the most spectacular expansion of the Templo Mayor took place in the year "1 Rabbit" (1454 A.D.) under the famous Aztec ruler, Motecuhzoma I. Impressive art works and architectural elements were added to this great temple.

City Facts
Templo Mayor was at the center of the Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the mighty Aztec Empire. This city is currently Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. Templo Mayor was only one of perhaps 75-80 buildings in Tenochitlan. These buildings included other pyramids, gathering places, ornamental walls, shops and, of course, bathrooms. Tenochitlan was built on swampy ground. This caused the city's temples to constantly sink in to the ground, forcing people to repair and built it up over the years.

Religious Purposes
Temple Mayor was the main religious building of Tenochtitlan. The temple had two shrines on the top - one dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. The other to Tlaloc. Huitzilopochtli or, Hummingbird of the South, was the patron god of the Mexica people. According to legend, he was the one who led the Aztec to Tenochtitlan in the first place. Huitzilopochtli was the god of the sun and war. Tlaloc was the god of rain and fertility. Both gods required constant human sacrifice. During the final phase of construction, thousands were sacrificed.

Rituals
Many rituals were done at Temple Mayor. The most known ritual was the sacrifice of humans. But there were many more, such as the private ritual blood-letting, burning of copal (a tree resin), and the music of worship. Another ritual was to the god of corn in which they would chop of the of a women. This Aztec temple represented the Hill of Coatepec, where the Mexica (Aztec) believed Huitzilopochtli was born.

Why?

Religion was central to Aztec life and society. The Aztecs believed that with out the gods they would all die. The Aztecs believed that the gods were the ones who granted them good harvest and food. They also believed that the gods would send earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters if Mexica people enraged them. Consequently, it persuaded the Aztecs to create elaborate rituals and sacrifices. Priests presented the gods with flowers, ears of maize, clothing, or images made of wood, while people danced around the priests. The Aztec people called themselves the "people of the sun" after their chief god, Huitzilopochtli. The Aztecs viewed the sun (Huitzilopochtli) as a warrior who fought against the forces of darkness. In Aztec belief, the fate of the universe depended on Huitzilopochtli winning these battles. The way to keep the sun strong was, what do you know, blood. For this reason, most Aztec rituals included some sort of blood sacrifice.

Bibliography

http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-temples.html

King, Heidi. "Tenochtitlan: Templo Mayor". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/teno_2/hd_teno_2.htm (October 2004)