The Story of Teotihuacán

They settled that the bone must be split in two, so that each of them could keep a part for themselves. Quetzalcóatl returned to the other gods with the coveted piece of bone, which they finally used to create the first human beings. In their honor, when several men and women were created, the newly born humans built a holy city. That was how, according to the Mexica who discovered the long-abandoned city when they migrated into Central Mexico, the magnificent Teotihuacán came to be.

The holy city of Teotihuacán was the largest in present-day Mexico, and the most influential politically and commercially in the Mesoamerican region. (Beatriz Quintanar Hinojosa/INAH)

The National Institute of Anthropology and History’s (INAH) records suggest that this archaeological site in present-day México state was constructed around the year 200 BCE. In the very beginning, farming communities occupied it and built its foundations. However, they quickly established commercial relationships with the neighboring towns, which eventually became the largest commercial network in Mesoamerica. Archaeological remains show that this interregional trade reached the Maya, and had major political influence in the Yucatán peninsula during the Preclassic and Classic Maya periods.

We don’t know what the inhabitants of Teotihuacán called themselves: the city’s name, translated as “where the gods were created” or “where men became gods,” was given to it by the Aztecs who found it 1000 years after its foundation. But the Teotihuacanos  built the largest city in ancient Mesoamerica, the cultural region spanning from present-day central Mexico to Costa Rica. With an area of over 22 square kilometers, Teotihuacán “was one of the cultural centers of the region,” INAH authorities say, and had “stylistic and architectural influences” that reached the Maya in Guatemala and Honduras.

Why can’t people climb the pyramids anymore?

In 2020, INAH authorities announced a new prohibition: visitors would no longer be allowed to climb the structures in the complex.  The footwear of visitors and the number of visitors (some days saw 15,000 visitors) were considerations.  The decision was taken to preserve the ancient structures, as happened in other archaeological sites, like Chichén Itzá.  Visitor safety is a consideration as well.

 (Maciej Cisowski/Pexels)

Researchers and the press need special permission to take photos of the pyramid or conduct any activity on the structures. Heavy fines up to $100,000 pesos are meted out to those who violate these restrictions.  Violators have also faced angry crowds: on March 20, a German visitor who climbed the Temple of Kukulkán in Chichén Itzá, Yucatán was booed and struck by other tourists who had gathered to watch the spring solstice at the complex before being taken into custody by National Guard officers.

You can see Teotihuacán from up high

If you really want to see the Teotihuacán from above and aren’t afraid of heights, you still have options, namely a hot air balloon ride above the ruins. Nothing compares to the sight of the Teotihuacán valley at sunrise on a cold morning.  Prices start at $2,300 pesos.  You are usually expected to be present at San Juan Teotihuacán at 5 a.m. The longest ride is about 3 hours, but you can choose shorter versions.

— by Andrea Fischer. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México.