Teotihuacan

The site is known as Teotihuacan, which means "city of the gods." The area certainly fives up to this grand name, as the 13-square-mile complex features temples, courts, homes and two majestic pyramids with breath- taking views of the Sierra Madres.

The Pyramid of the Moon (140 feet high) lies on the north end of the site and affords an unobstructed view of the several lesser structures that border the three- mile Avenue of the Dead through the center of the complex. The impressive Pyramid of the Sun (215 feet high) is the third largest pyramid in the world. Unlike the Great Pyramids of Egypt, these pyramids were used as worship centers, not gravesites. Visitors can scale both structures; bring good shoes and a little daring, as the stairways are quite steep and sometimes uneven.  Admission is charged, and there is an additional parking fee. For more information, call the Mexican Government Tourist Office at (312) 606-9252 or (800) 446-3942.
 
 

A holy city built between the 1st and 7th centuries A.D., Teotihuacan, "the place where the gods were created", is known for  the geometrical and symbolic arrangement of its monuments, and for their enormous size in particular, the pyramids to the Sun and the  Moon. It is an exceptional archaeological site by virtue of its beauty  as well as what it teaches about the ceremonial centres and pre-urban structures of ancient Mexico.