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| | The Aztecs/Mexicas were the Native American people who dominated northern Mexico and flourished until the year 1521 when Hernandez Cortes and his Spanish army invaded and captured the city. The Aztecs were a very religious race and strongly believed in the ritual of sacrificing people to gratify the Gods and thus sacrificed over 20,000 people a year. To add more to this dreadful act as a tribute to the Gods, skulls of the dead were used to adorn walls and vast temple areas. In order to perform such ghastly sacrifices The Aztec Temples were built in the city of Tenochtitlan.
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One such temple was the Greater Temple of Tenochtitlan also called the Templo Mayor or the Pyramid of Huitilopochtli. The temple is dedicated to the Aztec God- Huitilopochtli, who beheaded his envious sister-Goddess Coyolxauhqui.
The Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan was a dual pyramid with a double staircase that led to a single platform. There were two shrines at the top dedicated to two separate and distinct cults. There were about 78 structures related to this temple-including 25 pyramids, 5 speaking halls, the house of fasting, 4 bowls to hold the hearts of the sacrificed people and another structure for encasing the skulls of the sacrificed people. Interesting feature about the Aztec sacrificial temples is that the old temples were never destroyed instead new ones were built over the old ones and by adding the new layers; as an effect to this, the latest temples had more steps, immense decorations and enormous sacrificial areas and looked more extravagant and mightier. These temples looked a lot like the great Egyptian pyramids except instead of having a pointed top they had a flat top with two small sections where the sacrifices were held.
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Little figures called stone serpents heads were added at the ends of the staircases either for decoration purpose, to satisfy the Gods or to ward off evil spirits. Some consider the presence of these figures simply because the Aztecs strongly believed in the serpents.
The Aztec temples at Tenochtitlan were believed to be dedicated to the sun and the moon. Priests went to these holy places to make offerings, to request divine intervention or communicate with their gods.
In order to make a temple, which will be worthy enough to house their revered deity Huitzilopochtli, the Mexicans, who were then known as the Aztecs, build the Aztec Temple. When the Mexicans first landed on the Tenoch Island they built alter for the God with hay and sticks, as there were no rocks to do so. However, it was only during Tizoc's reign that the temple was finally built the temple, which was inaugurated in 1487. Here is Allwondersoftheworld providing you with comprehensive information on this forgotten wonder of the world. Just browse through the links below to find out more on all aspects of the Aztec Temple.
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· Aztec History
· Aztec Calendar
· Aztec Gods
· Aztec Religion
· Aztec
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Allwondersoftheworld.com describes the Aztec Temple located under the present-day Mexico City, Mexico which exhibits the lost glory of its forgotten past.
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