11th – 15th September, 2023
Mexico. The final lap of this trip that I began over six months ago. Out of all the countries in Latin America, this is a big one, so I am looking forward to it. I have about seven weeks to explore, and my first stop is its capital city.
I arrived in the early evening, and – after catching an Uber and climbing five flights of stairs – was pleased to see that my hostel had a nice view of the city, overlooking the Regina Coeli Parish. I didn’t do much that first evening as I was tired and needed to get my bearings. I drew out some money and grabbed some food, but mostly just stayed in my hostel. It was the following morning that I started exploring, and did so by walking through the nearby historic centre (also known as Zocalo).
By a fortunate coincidence, I had come to Mexico City on the week of its Independence Day celebrations, and I witnessed preparations being made. Much of the main plaza was cordoned off, stages were being built, and decorations were draped across the facades of buildings. There was even a little village of tents – which I was not quite sure was made of people trying to claim their spaces early, or protestors, but when I returned a couple of days later, they had all vanished.
After soaking up the plaza, I went for a quick walk around the Metropolitan Cathedral whilst on my way to the main attraction that day; Templo Mayor.
This site – also known as Huēyi Teōcalli – is one of the most historically significant places in all of Mexico, but it isn’t as known as the likes of Teotihuacan or Chichen Itza. Mexico City is built upon the foundations of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, which was made out of a network of causeways forming a grid upon a lake. The design was sacred, and many of Huēyi Teōcalli’s features represented duality between the earth and sky. It was situated at the nexus of this amphibious city, where the main causeways met, and thus – to the Aztecs and other inhabitants – it was the centre of the cosmos.
It is, admittedly, not the most photogenic out of all the ruins that I have seen. Many of the edifices were dismantled by the colonists to build the Zocalo we know today, and then the foundations were buried beneath the earth for hundreds of years until they were rediscovered in 1978.
What this place may lack in terms of intact structures, it has more than made up for in archaeology. During excavations, it was discovered that – much like the Mayans – these peoples had a habit of adding new layers to their religious buildings over the generations and this happened seven times. On each occasion, statues, stuccos, offerings, and other artefacts were buried with the structures, preserving them. Sometimes they were even placed in special boxes made of stone.
The on-site museum is where most of the visitors end up spending most of their time once they have finished wandering through the remains of the foundations, and it is where the real treasures of this place are.
Some of the highlights – for me – included:
These stone knives. They are made from flint (with other precious stones as decorations to symbolise teeth and eyes). These are believed to have been used mostly for ritual purposes, including human sacrifice.
Several ceramic pots depicting Tlaloc, the god of rain.
This Olmec mask was probably what made the biggest impression on me. There are many artefacts here that are possibly more complex, but I like the refined simplicity of it. Also, this is one of the oldest finds, as the Olmecs were the earliest known civilisation in Mesoamerica – predating the Tenochtitlan by hundreds of years. Findings like this hint that the Aztecs – and other latter civilisations – were aware of the Olmecs, and perhaps even venerated them.
And this huge and iconic monolith of Tlalcihuatl, an earth goddess, which was found at the foot of the site.
On my second day in Mexico City, I had originally planned to go to the world-renowned National Museum of Anthropology, which is based in the Chapultepec district (on an old hill that was sacred to the Aztec people but is now an urban park). When I arrived, however, I found the whole park and all of its museums and attractions closed. I saw men in uniform through the bars, so I am guessing it might have been something to do with the parade later this week.
So, upon hearing this news, I found myself looking at the Paseo de la Reforma – a famous avenue that runs through some of Mexico City’s most iconic civic features – and decided to walk down it.
Many people will recognise the Angel of Independence, but there were several other monuments across its breadth, including one for Cuauhtemoc, the last Aztec emperor.
Conveniently, this walk also brought me close to Alameda Central, which is not only the oldest public park in the city but also close to the Palacio de Bellas Artes.
This building is not just a museum but the architecture is a work of art in itself.
Because of a press event going on – which I am guessing, like most things I came across this week, was connected to the independence celebrations– many of the exhibitions were closed but I still got to go to the top floor which is what most people come here for because it is home to a collection of famous murals by artists such as Diego Rivera.
At one point I got to witness part of the press event. A crowd of people appeared and a public figure was interviewed in front of this iconic painting. There was also a swam of protestors at the edges. They let her finish her speech before chanting about their grievances.
I also went to the National Museum of Art, which was within yet another impressive building.
The exhibitions here are more diverse and vary from colonial to modern, sculpture, and many others.
And my final visit that day was to the Museum of World Cultures. As named, it features lots of exhibitions concerning cultures from around the world. It is perhaps a little generalist, but it is free to enter so worth a wander if you have some spare time. Many of its display items are recreations rather than originals – or at least I assume so, as I suspect this place would be a much bigger deal if this was the original Code of Hammurabi.
On my third day, I finally made it to the National Museum of Anthropology, the crowning jewel of Mexico’s museums and the one I was most looking forward to.
I will try to condense the entire day that I spent here as succinctly as I can handle when in my geek mode.
This place is very big, and it is almost impossible to go through all of its exhibitions in a single day so many people are tactical about which parts they go to.
The first section is about the evolution of the human species. If you are someone who has studied this – even at an amateur level – you probably won’t find out anything new here (in fact you may find some of the information a bit outdated). If you haven’t studied this subject but are interested I would highly recommend this as an introduction.
If you go upstairs from the exhibition about human evolution, there are some exhibitions concerning the contemporary indigenous cultures within Mexico. This is quite fascinating but if you are here for more ancient history and artefacts, you might find your time better focussed elsewhere.
It was when I reached the exhibition concerning Teotihuacan that I found myself becoming enthralled. Not only does this place feature many amazing artefacts excavated from the site.
But it is also home to many original towering monoliths.
As well as some historical reconstructions of what they believe parts of this acropolis to have looked like, such as this façade of the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
You can even walk inside it to see some of the original remains of human sacrifices that were found within.
This exhibition also features reconstructions of what they believe some of the inner courtyards to have looked like, with murals painted on the walls.
In many ways, this museum works as a great introduction to many of the historic sites in Mexico, and I am glad that I came here before visiting Teotihuacan itself, as I believe I will now be able to better contextualise it and picture what it made have looked like in my mind’s eye when I go.
And it is not just Teotihuacan, either. Adjacent to this exhibition is another concerning some of the smaller civilisations which rose in prominence in the power vacuum that appeared once Teotihuacan fell, such as Xochicalco.
I also spent quite some time exploring the exhibition concerning the Oaxaca civilisation, as I will be venturing to that region soon and exploring some of its sites.
The Maia are, of course, well-represented with an entire exhibition dedicated to them.
As well as some of the lesser-known civilisations that existed in the Gulf Coast and the Baja California Peninsula.
But, out of all of them, a particular highlight for me was – once again – their section on the Olmecs. This place is home to a couple of the enigmatic heads this older and mysterious civilisation left behind.
As well as many other artefacts, which are – once again – somewhat more simplistic than those of the latter civilisations, but have a breathtaking finesse. I am finding myself becoming increasingly fascinated by them.
No matter where your particular interests lay, some other highlights that are not to be missed at this museum include:
The Mexica Exhibit located in a large room at the far end of the courtyard. It is here that many of the larger sculptures found in the area around Mexico City are located.
Including the famous Aztec Sunstone.
A reproduction of the Tomb of Pakal the Great, as it was found within the Temple of Inscriptions in Palenque (another place I will be visiting during my time in Mexico).
And this amazing serpentine mask, decorated with jade and other precious stones. These were often found placed upon the faces of the dead in Mesoamerica. This one is believed to have been a warrior.
This is the end of this entry concerning my time in Mexico City, but stay tuned for part two which will cover the Independence Day celebrations and my visit to Teotihuacan.
For more photos of amazing artefacts, art, and other sites around Mexico City, click here.
Tej Turner 