Who built a temple for Huitzilopochtli?

Who built a temple for Huitzilopochtli?

The Great Temple devoted to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, measuring approximately 100 by 80 m (328 by 262 ft) at its base, dominated the Sacred Precinct. Construction of the first temple began sometime after 1325, and it was rebuilt six times….Templo Mayor.

History
Area 3,010.86 ha

Is Tenochtitlan Aztec or Mayan?

Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire, was founded by the Aztec or Mexica people around 1325 C.E. According to legend, the Mexica founded Tenochtitlan after leaving their homeland of Aztlan at the direction of their god, Huitzilopochtli.

Who built the Aztec temples?

According to Aztec tradition, the sun and the moon, as well as the rest of the universe, traced their origins to Teotihuacán. More temples have been discovered there than in any other Mesoamerican city. The Teotihuacán built the Pyramids of the Sun and of the Moon between A.D. 1 and 250.

What is Huitzilopochtli and why is it important to the Aztecs?

Huitzilopochtli was one of the most important Aztec gods. He was the sun god as well as the god of war. His name means “Hummingbird of the Left.” The Aztecs believed that warriors who were killed in battle returned to life as hummingbirds. They also thought that lands in the south made up the left side of the world.

What was the Tenochtitlan temple used for?

The Templo Mayor (Main Temple) in Tenochtitlan, capital of the mighty Aztec empire, was located in the center of the city, where the most important ritual and ceremonial activities in Aztec life took place.

How many temples are there in Tenochtitlan?

The sacred precinct at the heart of Tenochtitlan contained, according to one eye-witness, 78 separate structures.

What was special about Tenochtitlan?

Tenochtitlán was an Aztec city that flourished between A.D. 1325 and 1521. Built on an island on Lake Texcoco, it had a system of canals and causeways that supplied the hundreds of thousands of people who lived there. Aztec capital.

How many temples were there in Tenochtitlan?

Why did the Aztecs built their temples?

Temple-pyramids were used for religious ceremonies and sacrifice. The Aztecs believed their pyramids were the homes of their gods and places of worship. Burials have been found within their walls, and the pyramids were also used to perform rituals of sacrifice.

What was Huitzilopochtli purpose?

According to Aztec cosmology, the sun god Huitzilopochtli was waging a constant war against darkness, and if the darkness won, the world would end. The keep the sun moving across the sky and preserve their very lives, the Aztecs had to feed Huitzilopochtli with human hearts and blood.

How was Huitzilopochtli Worshipped?

The focal point of worship to Huitzilopochtli was at the Aztec capital where he had a wooden statue and shrine alongside that of Tláloc atop the Temple Mayor pyramid or Hueteocalli. As Huitzilopochtli was such an important deity he was the beneficiary of human sacrifices whose blood would feed and strengthen the god.

How did Huitzilopochtli find Tenochtitlan?

During the journey his image, in the form of a hummingbird, was carried upon the shoulders of priests, and at night his voice was heard giving orders. Thus, according to Huitzilopochtli’s command, Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, was founded in 1325 ce on a small, rocky island in the lake of the Valley of Mexico.

Who was the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan dedicated to?

The Great Temple of Tenochtitlan was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, the rain god. 16th century Dominican Friar Diego Durán wrote, “These two gods were always meant to be together, since they were considered companions of equal power.” The Templo Mayor actually consisted of a pyramidal platform, on top of which were twin temples.

What is Huitzilopochtli the patron god of?

Huitzilopochtli was the patron god of the Mexica tribe. Originally he was of little importance to the Nahuas, but after the rise of the Aztecs, Tlacaelel reformed their religion and put Huitzilopochtli at the same level as Quetzalcoatl, Tlaloc, and Tezcatlipoca, making him a solar god.

Who is Huitzilopochtli in the Codex Telleriano?

Huitzilopochtli – Codex Telleriano-Remensis. PD. Both a sun god and a war god, Huitzilopochtli was the main deity in most of the Nahuatl-speaking Aztec tribes. As these tribes varied quite a bit between each other, there were different myths told about Huitzilopochtli among them.

author

Back to Top