Tenochtitlan, The Capital City Of The Mexico City

Tenochtitlan was the capital city of the Mexican civilization established around 1325. The Aztecs, who inhabited Tenochtitlan, picked the site based on an ancient prophecy that said the wandering tribes of the Aztecs would find the destined site for a great city by spotting an eagle eating a snake while perched on a cactus. The Aztecs saw this sight on what was then a small swampy island in Lake Texcoco. This eagle can be seen on Mexico's coat of arms and on the Mexican flag today. They built their city using chinampas , or floating gardens, used for agriculture and to dry and expand the island. These chinampas were linked with wooden bridges, connecting both platforms used for residential purposes as well as platforms for the maize and other crops they grew to the inner island as well as to the outer terrain. Tenochtitlan covered an estimated 8 to 13.5 km2 (3.1 to 5.2 sq mi), situated on the western side of the shallow Lake Texcoco.

At the time of Spanish conquests, Mexico City comprised Tenochtitlan a neighboring city (Tlatelolco) at the same time. Since then, the city extended from the north border of Tlatelolco to the swamps, which were slowly disappearing to the west of the city. The city borders ended at the location of Bucareli Street in present-day Mexico, D.F. It was connected to the mainland by causeways to south, north, and west of the city districts and led to neighboring cities. These causeways had bridges that allowed canoes to pass through freely. The bridges could be pulled away, if necessary, to defend the city. The city was built around a series of canals so that all sections of the city could be traversed both on foot and in canoes.

Lake Texcoco was the largest of the five interconnected lakes. During the reign ...

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...red in the early 20th century, after utility workers came across a massive stone disc depicting the nude dismembered body of the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui. This stone disc is about 10.5 feet in diameter.

The ruins were built in layers on top of each other. The heaviness of the structures being stacked caused them to sink into the swampy grounds of Lake Texcoco. This resulted in the ruins of the temple now resting at an angle instead of horizontally.

At Mexico City's heart, the Plaza de la Constitución, lies the site of Tenochtitlan's original central plaza and market, and many of the original paths still correspond to modern city streets. The famous Aztec calendar stone was located inside these ruins. This stone is 12 feet in diameter and weighs over 20 tons with lots of intricate detailing. It was once located mid-way up the great temple before Cortés's invasion.