Aztec architecture

Aztec pyramid of Santa Cecilia Acatitlan

see also Mesoamerican architecture

Aztec architecture is related to that of older Mesoamerican architecture and sometimes thought of as one of them, usually Maya. Their houses and religious structures were unique, however. Aztec cities often competed to construct the greatest temples in the Aztec empire. While doing so, Instead of demolishing an old temple and building a new one at the site, they simply built over the old structure. Often, the temples were immense and were very proportioned.

Some temples have been found to have at least four of five layers. Houses were uniform throughout most of the empire, only varying in size and ornamentation. Houses were built with adobe and were not separated, thus resulting in one large room.

The Aztecs dominated central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Their capital was Tenochtitlan on the shore of Lake Texcoco – the site of modern-day Mexico City.

Aztec architectural sites include:

• Malinalco
• Tenayuca, (conquered by the Aztec circa 1434; the earliest known example of the typical Aztec double pyramid, which consists of joined pyramidal bases supporting two temples)
• Templo Mayor

External links

• Aztec Architecture from the Think Quest Library
• Aztec Architecture from the University of Redlands