just outside greater Mexico City, the ruins of Teotihuacan are a place of massive pyramids and profound mystery.
The ancient city is so old that the Aztecs, the dominant group in the Valley of Mexico at the time of the arrival of the Spanish, didn’t even know who built it.
Today, there’s much speculation about the origins of Teotihuacan, although not many facts. Archeological research is ongoing, with new tunnels and chambers still being discovered and explored.
I was fortunate enough to visit Teotihuacan several times during the many years I lived in Mexico.
I’ve taken public transportation from Mexico City to get there, and I’ve driven on my own. I’ve taken friends who were visiting Mexico for the first time, and I’ve gone all by myself. Each visit was an unforgettable experience.
Visiting Teotihuacan is one of the top day trips from Mexico City and one of the best things to see in Mexico. Don’t miss it.
Learn everything you need to know about visiting the Teotihuacan Ruins in this guide.
Sisällysluettelo
Teotihuacan Ruins Facts and History
Teotihuacan Pyramids and Temples to Visit
Things to Do at the Teotihuacan Ruins
Best Teotihuacan tours from Mexico City
5 top tips for visiting Teotihuacan
Usein Kysytyt Kysymykset
Conclusion
Teotihuacan Ruins Facts and History
As mentioned, it’s unclear which culture founded Teotihuacan and constructed its immense pyramids and temples. The two most likely groups are the Toltecs and the Totonacs.
The Toltecs were from central Mexico, and they’re best known today for their improbably huge statues and head carvings, which can be seen at archeological sites such as Tula.
Their peak came between that of Teotihuacan and the rise of the Aztecs, and they exerted a deep influence on many Mesoamerican cultures.
The Totonacs are from what is the state of Veracruz today. The people still exist, and part of their belief system is that their ancestors were the ones responsible for building Teotihuacan.
Evidence does show, however, that Teotihuacan was home to several cultures from various parts of pre-Hispanic Mexico, including the Toltecs, Totonacs, Mayans, Mixtecs, and Zapotecs.
Compounding the mystery of its origin is the mystery of its language. The residents of Teotihuacan had a written language, but researchers haven’t yet deciphered it.
Consequently, the original name of the city also isn’t known. Teotihuacan is a Nahuatl word that means “the place where men become gods.” It was given by the Aztecs, who arrived in the Valley of Mexico around 1250 CE, centuries after the demise of Teotihuacan.
Teotihuacan was probably settled as early as 400 BC. The peak of the city, when it was home to more than 100,000 people, was from 100 BC to 650 CE. The city covered 8 square miles and was the largest city in the Western Hemisphere.
The long collapse and abandonment of the city came next. One theory is that a brutal class war occurred between the city’s powerful elite and the much more numerous poorer classes.
Supporting this theory is evidence of a large fire that happened around 550 CE. Whatever the reasons for its decline, Teotihuacan was fully abandoned by 750 CE.
Teotihuacan Pyramids and Temples to Visit
Here’s a breakdown of the most important temples to visit at Teotihuacan.
Pyramid of the sun and Pyramid of the Moon
The two most significant structures are the Pyramid of the sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, which are also known as the temple of the sun and the temple of the Moon.
The Pyramid of the sun is the biggest structure at the ruins of Teotihuacan. At 213 feet tall, it’s the third-highest pyramid in the world, a little more than half as tall as the great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt.
The Pyramid of the sun is actually six pyramids, each one built over the other. and underneath it all is a cave.
Running in front of the Pyramid of the sun is the street of the Dead (Calle de los Muertos). This broad thoroughfare goes from the Pyramid of the Moon on its north end to the Ciudadela complex on the south end, near the main entrance to the park.
On the way, the street of the Dead passes many ceremonial platforms that house intricate murals and carvings. When Teotihuacan was an active city, the road was 40 meters wide and 4 kilometers long.
At the far end of the street of the Dead, the 147-foot-tall Pyramid of the Moon is the second largest structure at the archeological site. It was a place of human and animal sacrifices.
An excavation of the pyramid uncovered 12 human bodies, 10 of which were decapitated, along with a menagerie of wild animal corpses that included jungle cats and eagles.
Palace of Quetzalpapálempeä
Quetzalpapálotlin palatsi on merkittävin rakenne aukiossa ennen kuun pyramidia. Sisäpihan sisällä olevia yksityiskohtaisia kaiverruksia ei pidä hukata.
Tepantitlan palatsi
Kuupyramidista itään Tepantitlan palatsi on vähän pois tieltä kuolleiden kadulta. Siinä on joitain vaikuttavimmista seinämaalauksista koko arkeologisella alueella.
La Ciudadela
Kuukuuden pyramidia vastapäätä kuolleen kadulla La Ciudadela (linnoitus tai seremoniallinen aukio) on laaja piha, joka sisältää Quetzalcoatlin temppelin.
Quetzalcoatl oli höyhenen käärme ja tärkeä jumala useimmille mesoamerikkalaisille kulttuureille. Hänen temppelinsä on koristeltu suurilla hampaiden käärmepäiden kaiverruksilla, joissa on liukastuneita runkoja, sekä merielämän kuvia, kuten simpukoita ja kotilokuoria.
Tekemistä Teotihuacanin raunioilla
Pyramidien kiipeäminen on yksi parhaimmista tekemistä, kun vierailet Teotihuacanissa. Normaalisti voit mennä aina huipulle korkeimpaan, auringon pyramidiin ja noin puolivälissä toiseksi korkeimpaan, kuun pyramidiin.
Voit myös kiivetä ja siirtyä moniin muihin temppeleihin ja seremoniallisiin aukioihin. Jotkut niistä sisältävät hyvin palautettuja seinämaalauksia tai kirpeitä kaiverruksia. Säännöt voivat muuttua, joten muista tarkistaa ja nähdä, onko sinulla lupa kiivetä pyramideihin ennen kuin teet niin.
Teotihuacanin raunioissa on kaksi museota, ja pääsy molemmille sisältyy lippuun.
Teotihuacanin seinämaalausten museossa, lähellä porttia 3A, on fragmentteja erityyppisiä muinaisia seinämaalauksia, mikä on erottuva meksikolainen taiteen muoto, jota harjoitetaan edelleen nykypäivään.
Teotihuacan -kulttuurin museossa, lähellä porttia 5, on pysyviä näyttelyitä muinaisesta kaupungista peräisin olevia esineitä ja nykyistä arkeologista tutkimusta koskevaa tietoa. Museossa on myös veistospuutarha ja kasvitieteellinen puutarha.
Suosittu toiminta on lentää Teotihuacanin raunioiden yli kuumailmapalloissa. Tarkista alla olevasta osiosta Teotihuacan -retkistä saadaksesi lisätietoja.
Voit kokea Teotihuacan -rauniot pimeän jälkeen kokemuksen kanssa Nocturna En Teotihuacán (yöllinen kokemus Teotihuacanissa), joka alkaa opastetulla kiertueella puistoon ja jatkuu kevyellä ja ääniohjelmalla.
Toisin kuin itse rauniot, sinun on ostettava ennakkoliput Light Showlle Ticketmasterin kautta. Voit ostaa lippuja Ticketmaster -verkkosivulta ja noutaa ne sitten Meksikossa sijaitsevasta Ticketmaster -myymälästä.
Teotihuacan -rauniot (ja Teotihuacanin kaupunki) ovat satunnaisia musiikkifestivaalien sivustoa, kuten festivaali Música para los dioses (musiikki Gods Festivalille), rock -festivaali, joka sisälsi retkeilyä. On epäselvää, pidetäänkö tämä festivaali edelleen. Tarkista Facebook -sivulta lisätietoja.
San Juan Teotihuacanin kaupunki juhlii useita vuosittaisia festivaaleja. Tärkeintä on Johannes Kastajan, kaupungin suojeluspyhän, syntymäpäivä, joka tapahtuu kesäkuun lopulla.
Tämä on hyvä aika viettää yö paikallisessa hotellissa kokeaksesi todellisen pienkaupungin Meksikon festivaalin. Siellä on ruokaa, musiikkia, juomista, tanssia ja paljon ilotulitusta.
Tietysti Teotihuacanin vierailu on hyvä tapa saada ruokahalu. Onneksi Teotihuacanin rauniot ympäröivät ravintoloita, jotka tarjoavat edustavaa paikallista ruokaa.
Paras ja mielenkiintoisin on La Gruta -ravintola. Se on suuren vulkaanisen alkuperän luolassa. Se on jonkin verran kalliilla puolella, mutta ruoka on erinomaista ja säännöllisiä kansantanssi -ohjelmia. La Grutalla on ollut monia kuuluisia ruokailijoita, jopa kuningatar Elizabeth II.
La Gruta sijaitsee pääsisäänkäynnin vastapäätä pääsisäänkäynnistä (ja parkkipaikasta), ja se on 10 minuutin ajomatka tai 30 minuutin kävelymatkan päässä sieltä. Se on paljon lähempänä porttia 4 (lähellä Tepantitlan palatsia), joten jos aiot mennä, jätä puisto siitä poistumisesta.
Parhaat Teotihuacan -retket Mexico Citystä
Löydät monia retkiä käymään Teotihuacanissa, kuten varhain lähtevät ja ohittavat linjan. Muita ovat viininmaistelu, matkoja kuumailmapallot ja pysähtyvät muihin Meksikon kaupungin nähtävyyksiin.
Meksikosta: Teotihuacanin varhainen pääsy ja viinin maistaminen
Tämä Teotihuacan -kiertue vie sinut raunioille aikaisin aamulla ja ohittaa linjan. Se sisältää lounaan ja pysähtymisen edustajan meksikolaisten viinien tequilan, mezcalin ja pulquen maistamiseen.
Kuuma ilmapallo lento Teotihuacanin yli Meksikosta
Tällä Teotihuacan -kiertueella vietät 45 minuuttia kuumailmapallolla, joka lentää arkeologisen alueen yli. Kokonaisaika on viisi tuntia, ja se sisältää aamiaisen ja kuljetuksen Mexico Citystä.
Teotihuacan, tlatelolco, Guadalupe Shrine and Tequila tasting Tour
This tour combines a trip to the ruins with two other famous attractions in Mexico City.
The ruins of Tlatelolco, located in the Plaza of three Cultures (pre-Hispanic, Spanish colonial, and modern Mexico), was the final refuge of the Aztecs during the Spanish conquest. The Guadalupe Shrine contains the original Virgin of Guadalupe painting and is one of the most important Catholic sites in Mexico.
5 top tips for visiting Teotihuacan
The most important tip for visiting Teotihuacan is to go early. If you’re doing it on your own, allow at least three hours for taking the metro to the bus station, buying tickets, riding the bus, and finally buying tickets for the ruins.
Getting there early will not only beat the crowds, but you can also climb the pyramids before it gets too hot.
There’s hardly any shade at the Teotihuacan ruins, so bring protection from the sun. Be sure to wear good shoes for climbing. flip flops may keep your feet cool, but they’re not very sturdy on rugged stones.
Teotihuacan is full of vendors selling all kinds of souvenirs of varying degrees of tackiness. You’ll surely get tired of hearing the loud jaguar call the vendor’s blow every few minutes.
A smile, a quick shake of the head, and a firm “gracias” (“thanks,” which also means “no thanks”) is the best way to deal with them. Please don’t be rude — they’re only trying to make a living — but you shouldn’t apologize or express interest, or one may follow you around for a while, being a nuisance.
You should make time to visit the museums, which are somewhat easy to miss off of the street of the Dead. They have interesting exhibits and informative explanations, along with air conditioning, which you may find more beneficial.
Finally, I highly recommend eating at La Gruta. It has a wonderful setting and the food is excellent, with outstanding versions of traditional dishes. They have good margaritas too.
Remember to keep an eye on your watch if you’ll be taking the bus back to Mexico City. You don’t want to miss the last one. It can be hard to keep track of time when you’re eating tacos and sipping tequila in a cave.
Planning on visiting other ruins in Mexico? See these related articles:
How To visit The Tulum Ruins
Visting Chichen Itza: A guide to the Ruins
10 best Mayan Ruins and Archaeological sites in Mexico
Usein Kysytyt Kysymykset
Below are some answers to frequently asked questions about visiting Teotihuacan.
Where Are the Teotihuacan Ruins?
The Teotihuacan ruins are 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Mexico City. They’re located in the state of Mexico in the town of San Juan Teotihuacan.
How to get to Teotihuacan from Mexico City
Frequent buses depart from Mexico City’s North Bus terminal and go directly to the archeological site. The metro station at the terminal is called Autobuses del Norte, and it’s on Line 5, the yellow line.
There’s no need to buy tickets in advance. just show up, buy the tickets, and get on the bus. You’ll need to walk through the station and look at the signs for each bus company to find the right one.
When you buy the tickets, ask what time the final bus departs for the return trip to Mexico City. There may be a timetable behind the counter, but still, confirm the schedule.
The trip from the North Bus terminal to the ruins takes about two hours.
Alternatively, you can join a tour so you don’t have to worry about transportation.
Teotihuacan Ruins opening Hours
Currently, the ruins are open from 9:00 AM to 15:00 PM. check the official website for any changes.