The Mexica imagined their world as a sacred space, divided into quarters and populated with shrines, temples, and holy mountains. The most important sacred site was the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan, the great double pyramid that stood at the center of the sacred precinct of the city. Beyond the Templo Mayor, the Mexica recognized many other sacred sites, including the sacred mountains around the Valley of Mexico, the great pyramid of Cholula, the caves to the north of the valley, and the great lake itself. The sacred geography of the Mexica was a complex system of places, each with its own history, its own gods, and its own rituals, and it shaped the religious and political life of the state.
The Sacred Precinct of Tenochtitlan
The sacred precinct of Tenochtitlan, called the teocalli in Nahuatl, was the religious center of the Mexica state. The precinct was a large walled complex in the center of the city, and it contained the great Templo Mayor, as well as dozens of other temples, shrines, and sacred objects. The precinct was surrounded by a wall, called the coatepantli, that marked the boundary between the sacred and the profane. The wall was decorated with serpent heads, and it had a single entrance, called the tlahuacxilpan, that was guarded by the priests.
Within the sacred precinct, the Templo Mayor was the dominant structure. The temple was a double pyramid, with two staircases leading to two separate shrines, one dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and the other to Tlaloc. The temple was rebuilt and enlarged several times during the history of Tenochtitlan, and the final version, completed in 1487, was one of the largest religious structures in the Americas.
In addition to the Templo Mayor, the sacred precinct contained temples dedicated to many of the other major gods, including Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, Xipe Totec, Xochipilli, Xochiquetzal, and many others. The precinct also contained the tzompantli, the great skull rack where the heads of sacrificial victims were displayed, the coacalco, the house of the priests, and the calmecac, the school for the sons of the nobles. The sacred precinct was the destination of pilgrims from across the empire, and it was the venue for the most important religious ceremonies of the year.
The Templo Mayor
The Templo Mayor was the religious and political center of Mexica civilization, and it was a remarkable structures of pre-Columbian America. Crowning the pyramid were two shrines, one for Huitzilopochtli — the war god and the patron of the Mexica — and the other for Tlaloc. A single platform joined the two shrines, and twin staircases swept up the front of the pyramid to give access to them.
The Templo Mayor was rebuilt and enlarged seven times over the centuries, and the final version, completed in 1487, was the largest of all. Rising to some 60 meters, it was built of stone and stucco. Among the sculptures that adorned it was the famous Coyolxauhqui Stone, a carved disc showing the dismembered moon goddess, and the temple was flanked by the tzompantli, where the heads of sacrificial victims were displayed.
The Templo Mayor was the venue for the most important religious ceremonies of the year, including the monthly festivals of the veintenas, the New Fire Ceremony, and the dedicatory sacrifices performed when a new temple was built. The temple was also the destination of pilgrims from across the empire, who came to honor the gods and to seek the favor of the Mexica state.
The Sacred Mountains
The Mexica regarded the mountains around the Valley of Mexico as sacred places, and they recognized a hierarchy of sacred mountains that were associated with the gods and the directions. The most important of these mountains were the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, which dominated the eastern horizon of the Valley of Mexico. Popocatépetl, the “Smoking Mountain,” was associated with the warrior tradition and with the state, and it was the destination of military expeditions. Iztaccíhuatl, the “White Woman,” was associated with fertility and with the earth, and it was the destination of pilgrimages for women.
The Mexica also recognized many other sacred mountains, including Tlaloc, the mountain of the rain god, which was the destination of pilgrimages for those seeking the favor of the rain god. The sacred mountains were places of pilgrimage and of sacrifice, and they were the venue for many of the most important rituals of the religious year. The mountains were also the source of many of the resources of the valley, including the water, the wood, and the obsidian, and they were closely tied to the agricultural and economic life of the region.
The Caves of Chicomoztoc
The Mexica, like other Nahua peoples, believed that their ancestors had emerged from a series of caves called Chicomoztoc, the “Place of the Seven Caves.” The caves were believed to be located in the north of the Valley of Mexico, and they were the mythical origin of the Nahua peoples. The Mexica tradition held that the seven ancestral groups had emerged from the seven caves, and that they had then migrated to the south, eventually founding the various Nahua states of central Mexico.
The caves of Chicomoztoc shaped the Mexica religious geography, and they were the destination of pilgrimages, particularly for those who wanted to honor their ancestors or to seek the blessing of the gods. The caves were also associated with the cult of the earth, and they were believed to be the place where the bones of the previous humans were kept, and from which the present humanity had been created.
The Lake as Sacred Space
The lake that surrounded Tenochtitlan, Lake Texcoco, was itself a sacred place, and the Mexica recognized many sacred features within the lake. The white herons that lived in the marshes around the lake were considered to be messengers of the gods, and they were protected by law. The springs that fed the lake, particularly the springs of Chapultepec, were sacred places, and they were the source of the fresh water that sustained the city.
The lake was also the venue for many religious rituals, including the rituals of the agricultural year and the rituals of the New Fire Ceremony. The lake was a place of pilgrimage, and the Mexica built several shrines and temples on the lake margins. The lake was also a place of danger, and the Mexica recognized many spirits and deities who lived in the waters, including the water goddess Chalchiuhtlicue, who was the patron of the lake and of the fishermen who worked on it.
Other Sacred Sites
Beyond the Valley of Mexico, the Mexica recognized many other sacred sites, which they visited on pilgrimage or which they honored in their rituals. The most important of these was the great pyramid of Cholula, dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, which was one of the largest pyramids in the pre-Columbian Americas. The pyramid was the destination of pilgrims from across Mesoamerica, and it was the venue for many important religious ceremonies.
The Mexica also recognized sacred sites in the territories they had conquered, and they incorporated these sites into the imperial religious system. The most important of these was the great city of Teotihuacan, the ancient city of the gods, where the Mexica believed that the Fifth Sun had been created. Teotihuacan, with its great pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, was an important destination for Mexica pilgrims, and it was the venue for many important religious ceremonies.
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See also:
- What was the Templo Mayor and what did it symbolize? — the great temple
- What was the Shrine of Quetzalcoatl at Tenayuca? — a related temple
- What were the sacred mountains around Tenochtitlan? — the holy peaks
- Aztec Architecture and the Great Temple — the building of the temple
- Major Gods of the Aztec Pantheon — the gods of the sacred places
- Aztec Religion and Mythology — the broader context