A single thing which the Aztecs are well recognized for is their architecture. They are especially known for their Aztec temples, which would have the shape of a pyramid. The thing which tends to make Aztec pyramids distinct from those located in Egypt is that Aztec pyramids practically usually come with steps. With the Aztec pyramid, it is possible to walk from the bottom to the top from the outside via the steps, where Egyptian pyramids require you to actually get into the structure from below. Architecturally, the Aztecs had been extremely sophisticated, and their temples rivaled those of Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
To offer you an concept of how amazing the Aztec temples are, Hernan Cortes, the conqueror of the Aztec empire, stated that Tenochtitlan, the capital city, was one of the most attractive cities he had ever seen. The capital city was a planned community, and it was laid out in a grid which was split into avenues and split inside five quarters. These 5 quarters represented the 5 directions that had been known to the Aztecs, and these had been the east, west, north, south, and center. A temple would always be constructed on one of the directions. Many of the Aztec temples had been replaced by Spanish churches following they conquered the country in 1521.
The Huitzilopochtli Temple in Tehnochtitlan
While the Aztec cities had lots of temples, there was a single temple which was much more crucial than the rest, and this was the Huitzilopochtli Temple, which was the biggest construction within the city. It should really also be mentioned that the sacred location of the city could also be found here. A variety of maps show the layout of Tehnochtitlan, and one of the most prominent could be the codex mendoza. On the map, the 5 essential directions are going to be symbolized by a group of triangles which can be placed in positions around an eagle that is sitting on a cactus. These maps also tell us a good deal concerning the religious beliefs that the Aztecs held.
Like the Egyptians, the pyramids was holy to the Aztecs. The Aztec myths reveal that they had been told by Huitzilopochtli that they were suppposed to create a temple on the place exactly where they saw an eagle resting on a cactus, and it was at this place that the temple was dedicated. It needs to be mentioned that this architectural masterpiece was a twin temple. The temple could be found within the center of the city, and it really should also be mentioned that though the Aztecs built pyramids like the Egyptians, their objective of constructing them was a little different.
The Egyptian pyramids were pretty much always erected as a grave, a memorial for the Egyptian nobility who died. But Aztec temples had been not largely used for this objective, they were mainly employed as areas exactly where human sacrifices may be carried out. In the infamous sacrifice, the victim could be taken to the top of the pyramid, exactly where his heart would be taken out, and the body would often be cast down the steps.
To offer you an concept of how amazing the Aztec temples are, Hernan Cortes, the conqueror of the Aztec empire, stated that Tenochtitlan, the capital city, was one of the most attractive cities he had ever seen. The capital city was a planned community, and it was laid out in a grid which was split into avenues and split inside five quarters. These 5 quarters represented the 5 directions that had been known to the Aztecs, and these had been the east, west, north, south, and center. A temple would always be constructed on one of the directions. Many of the Aztec temples had been replaced by Spanish churches following they conquered the country in 1521.
The Huitzilopochtli Temple in Tehnochtitlan
While the Aztec cities had lots of temples, there was a single temple which was much more crucial than the rest, and this was the Huitzilopochtli Temple, which was the biggest construction within the city. It should really also be mentioned that the sacred location of the city could also be found here. A variety of maps show the layout of Tehnochtitlan, and one of the most prominent could be the codex mendoza. On the map, the 5 essential directions are going to be symbolized by a group of triangles which can be placed in positions around an eagle that is sitting on a cactus. These maps also tell us a good deal concerning the religious beliefs that the Aztecs held.
Like the Egyptians, the pyramids was holy to the Aztecs. The Aztec myths reveal that they had been told by Huitzilopochtli that they were suppposed to create a temple on the place exactly where they saw an eagle resting on a cactus, and it was at this place that the temple was dedicated. It needs to be mentioned that this architectural masterpiece was a twin temple. The temple could be found within the center of the city, and it really should also be mentioned that though the Aztecs built pyramids like the Egyptians, their objective of constructing them was a little different.
The Egyptian pyramids were pretty much always erected as a grave, a memorial for the Egyptian nobility who died. But Aztec temples had been not largely used for this objective, they were mainly employed as areas exactly where human sacrifices may be carried out. In the infamous sacrifice, the victim could be taken to the top of the pyramid, exactly where his heart would be taken out, and the body would often be cast down the steps.
About the Author:
The writer is enthusiastic about Aztec history and has a complete website feauturing the Aztecs. There you are able to find facts about Aztecs including temples of the aztecs. For more of Aztec history, see this article