General Aztecs Maya Tocuaro Kids Contact 19 Mar 2024/2 Death
Text Size:

Please support us on Patreon!
Mexica-Aztec standard bearer stone sculpture

Click to see the latest Artefact in the Spotlight!

link of the month button
A good, quick introduction to Mexica-Aztec poetry
Link to page about the Maya Calendar
Today's Maya date is: 13.0.11.7.6 - 4107 days into the new cycle!
Link to page of interest to teachers
Click to find out how we can help you!

Dr. Raúl Macuil Martínez

What would happen if you didn’t believe in any gods? asked Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School. Read what Dr. Raúl Macuil Martínez had to say.

Search the Site (type in white box):

Article suitable for Top Juniors and above

Templo Mayor animation

The Aztecs/Mexica founded the city of Tenochtitlan in 1325 and in the same year started to build the Templo Mayor, the Great Temple. It was the largest pyramid ever constructed by the Aztecs/Mexica and their most sacred site. Twin shrines at the top were dedicated to the war god Huitzilopochtli and the god of rain, Tlaloc.

The temple was remodelled and enlarged several times, but was all but destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadores in 1521. Its remnants were discovered in the centre of modern Mexico City in 1978.

A digital reconstruction of El Templo Mayor and its surroundings was created in 2002 to accompany the Aztecs exhibition held at the Royal Academy of Arts. The Academy commissioned the Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture (CASA) at the University of Bath, to develop a computer model and a seven-minute-long animation. The model was on view at the Aztecs exhibition held at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, 16 November 2002-11 April 2003; Martin-Gropius-Bar, Berlin, 17 May-10 August 2003; Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bonn, 26 September 2003-11 January 2004.

The project was directed by Professor Robert Tavernor; modelling by Henry Chow, Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture (CASA), Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath. With special thanks to Robert Tavernor for allowing us to include the video on the Mexicolore website. Note: there is no soundtrack to the animation.

Feedback button

Here's what others have said: