These are pictures that I took on a previous trip of a few iconic places in and around Mexico City. As a part of my effort to raise funds for my year in Mexico, I am giving away framed copies of these pictures for donations of $15 or more. More information on how to donate can be found on a
previous blog titled "A México". If you make a donation, please let me know which picture you would like. I can hand deliver, or if needed, mail pictures. ¡Ciao!
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Capilla
del Rosario (Chapel of the Rosary). Puebla, MX.
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La Capilla del Rosario (Chapel of the Rosary) is housed in the la Iglesia de Santo Domingo (Church of St. Dominic) in Puebla, Mexico. This colonial chapel is covered in intricate gilded carvings.
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| Ex-Convento de San Gabriel. Cholula, MX. |
These doors are found
at the Ex-Convento de San Gabriel. The former convent began to be constructed
in the 1540s. Close to twenty Franciscan
monks still reside here.
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Piedra
del Sol (Stone of the Sun). Mexico City. |
La Piedra del Sol
(Stone of the Sun) is a 12-foot, 25-ton, carved basalt slab depicting the
Aztec mythological belief. This stone, often mistaken as an Aztec calendar, was
carved in the 15th Century and discovered beneath Mexico City’s
Zócalo (Central Square) in 1790. “In the stone’s center is the sun god
Tonatiuh. The rest of the carvings explain the Aztecs’ idea of the cosmos:
namely, that prior to their existence, the world had endured four periods
(called suns) of creation and destruction. Four square panels surrounding the
center image represent these four worlds and their destruction (by jaguars,
wind, firestorms, and water, respectively). The ring around the panels is
filled with symbols representing the 20 days of the Aztec month. Finally, two
snakes form an outer ring and point to a date, 1011 AD – the date the fifth
sun, or the Aztecs’ current world, was created. The Aztecs believed that this
fifth sun was the final sun; they believed that one day they would witness a
catastrophic end of the world” (Fodor’s, Mexico,
p.57).
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| Carved Skulls. Mexico City. |
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New Basilica. Mexico City. |
The newest basilica to be built on the site was completed in 1976. The Nueva Basílica houses the cloak on which La Virgen’s image was imprinted. Furthermore, the basilica was built to resemble Juan Diego’s cloak with a sloping wooden ceiling that resembles the wrinkled nature and texture of a cloak made of woven fibers. The picture next to this paper shows the ceiling of the basilica as well as the flag of each country in which the Virgin of Guadalupe is revered.
The legend of the Virgin of Guadalupe
was born in December of 1531 on the hill Tepeyac, when a dark-skinned virgin
appeared the humble, indigenous Christian named Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. The
virgin had appeared to Juan Diego several times, telling him to ask the bishop
to erect a shrine to the perpetual Virgin Mary on the hill. Juan Diego carried
out this command a couple of times without fail. Eventually, the virgin appeared to Juan Diego
again. But, this time “his cloak was imprinted with the miraculous image of Our
Lady of Guadalupe,” to serve as evidence to the bishop that Juan Diego had, in
fact, had a holy vision. The bishop must have been moved because a shrine was
erected on the hill Tepeyac, which had previously been the location of a temple
to the Aztec goddess Tonantzin Cihuacóatl (“our reverend Mother Snake Woman”).
The legend of the Virgin of Guadalupe was born.
Throughout the centuries, clergy and
lay people have questioned the authenticity of the miracle. While many skeptics
remain, the event has become deeply rooted in the Mexican identity as a symbol
of Catholicism and the national identity of Mexico. In 2002, Juan Diego was
canonized as a saint, becoming the first indigenous saint in the Americas.
Meanwhile, the hill Tepeyac remains a holy site that millions visit every year.
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| Colorful Houses. Outskirts of Mexico City. |
These colorful houses
decorate one of the many mountain sides that surround Mexico City. A city of an
estimated 22 million.
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| Carving of Quetzalcóatl. Teotihuacán. |
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Temple of Quetzalcóatl. Teotihuacán. |
These carvings of
Quetzalcóatl, the Plumed Serpent, and Tláloc, god of rain and maize, adorn the
Templo de Quetzalcóatl in Teotihuacán. For the inhabitants of Teotihuacán,
Quetzalcóatl was a god of fertility. Throughout Mesoamerica, Quetzalcóatl was
also a deity of culture and civilization, which may explain the placement of
this temple in the urban center of Teotihuacán next to the open-aired market.
Teotihuacán dates back nearly to the time of Christ. This urban center reached
its peak around 600 AD, housing over 100,000 people and exercising influence
over an empire occupying most of central Mexico.
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| Teotihuacán. |
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| Teotihuacán. |
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| Teotihuacán. |
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| Teotihuacán. |
This picture was taken
from the Pyramid of the Moon looking down Calzada de los Muertos (the Avenue of
the Dead)
and at the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacán. Teotihuacán dates back nearly to the time of Christ. This urban
center reached its peak around 600 AD, housing over 100,000 people and
exercising influence over an empire occupying most of central Mexico. When the
Aztecs stumbled upon this inhabitation in the 14th Century it was
completely deserted. They mistook the temples lining the main avenue as tombs,
and thus proceeded to name it the Avenue of the Dead. Much like us, the Aztecs
were mesmerized by this site. Thinking no men could have built such a grand
city, they named the site Teotihuacán, which means “place where men became
gods.” The Aztecs inherited the deserted city as one of their own holy sites,
where various religious rituals were performed. Little is known of the original
inhabitants of this colossal city.
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| Teotihuacán and Gringos. |
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| Palacio de Belles Artes. Mexico City. |
This ornate white-marble opera house was
constructed at the beginning of the 20th Century. It’s
construction was ordered by the Porfiro Díaz, who had an imagination for
grandiosity. Today, the building houses paintings and murals from some of
Mexico’s most famous artists, as well as temporary art exhibits.
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| Modern Architecture. Mexico City. |
While Mexico City abounds in ancient and
colonial historic sites, it is also a bustling metropolis. Mexico City is the
NYC of Latin America (though it is actually much, much bigger). This
city is the heart of culture and business for Mexico and Latin America.
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| Romance in Alameda Central. Mexico City. |
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| Romance in Alameda Central. Mexico City. |
This picture captures the romantic nature
of the Mexican people, which is on public display in parks, sidewalks, and
plazas throughout the nation. This particular couple was seen in the historic
Alameda Central. Alameda Central was the site of indigenous markets during Aztec
times, and was a symbolic park during Mexico’s colonial era. Today, it remains
a busy park, where one can catch live music and people-watch.
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| Xochimilco. Mexico City. |
At one time the Valley of Mexico was
connected by a set of enormous lakes. As a result of degradation by humans and
environmental factors, the majority of this lake system has disappeared, and in
its place lies Mexico City – one of the largest cities on the planet.
Xochimilco is one of the few remaining signs of this vast lake system.
Xochimilco was settled by indigenous people millennia ago, and was noted for
the chinampas – floating gardens – devised here. These chinampas were
essentially barges created by placing reeds, branches and dirt on lilies and
anchoring the structure to the lake bed by planting a willow tree.
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| Carved Skulls at Templo Mayor. Mexico City. |
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| Templo Mayor & Catedral Metropolitana. Mexico City. |
The
foreground of this picture shows the Templo Mayor, the ancient hub of the Aztec
empire, which was accidentally unearthed by telephone repairmen in 1978. The
background displays the Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest Cathedral in Latin
America, which began to be constructed in the 16th Century.
This picture displays a scene that is a
common sight throughout Mexico: the construction of churches upon ancient
temples. The conquering and crusading nature of Spanish colonizers often led
them to erect churches right on top of temples devoted to Aztec and other
indigenous deities. This sight serves a metaphor for the soul of Mexico. “All
Mexicans live with the legacy of both their Spanish and Indian history… more
than 60 percent of Mexicans are “mestizos” – people of mixed Spanish and Indian
ancestry.”
Indeed, modern Mexico was born of two rich histories: the natives of Mexico and
the Spaniards. This interesting confluence has left a mark on not only the
ethnic make-up of Mexicans today, but also on the fundamental beliefs, religion
and culture of Mexico. This inheritance is not easy to grasp as it forces the
Mexican to grappled with “being both the conquered and the conqueror.”
But, as Oliver states “Perhaps a plaque in front of the Spanish church facing
the Aztec ruins best explains the emotional legacy of the Spanish conquest: ‘It
was neither a triumph nor a defeat. It was the painful birth of the Mestizo
nation that is Mexico today.’”
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| Mole. Puebla, MX. |
Mole is a
quintessential Mexican dish that was born in the city of Puebla. “Mole” comes
from an indigenous word for “concoction.” Though typically thought of a dark
chocolate-flavored sauce, such as the mole poblano in the middle of this
picture, mole actually comes in a variety of flavors and textures. Mole is
simply a combination of ingredients, including spices, chilies, seeds and nuts.
