Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (or “Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral”) at the northern side of the Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo) in Mexico City.Façade of the the Metropolitan Tabernacle, which is on the east side of the Cathedral and was built by Lorenzo Rodríguez between 1749 and 1760 AD.Interior of the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, which began construction in 1573 AD, but was not completed until 1813 AD.Altar of Forgiveness, which is located at the front of the central nave of the Cathedral.Organ inside the Cathedral.Chapel of Saint Felipe de Jesús (the first Mexican saint and patron saint of Mexico City, who was crucified and killed with spears in Japan in 1597 AD) with its Baroque altarpiece from the 17th-century AD.Altar of the Kings – completed in 1737 AD, it is located in the “royal chapel” in the Cathedral.Another view from inside the Cathedral, taken near the Main Altar.View of the Main Altar, with the Altar of the Kings behind it, and a large pendulum hanging down in the center of the nave that marks the movement of the Cathedral’s foundation over the years – due to soft soil and a decreasing water table, many structures in Mexico City are gradually sinking, so naturally some movement will occur as the foundation continually settles.Statue of Pope John Paul II outside the Cathedral.Exterior view of the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral with Christmas decorations still up around the Zócalo.National Palace – the seat of the federal executive in Mexico.Remains of the Templo Mayor (“Main Temple”), which was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture; it was built by the Mexica people (the rulers of the Aztec Empire) in their capital city of Tenochtitlan (construction dates back to 1325 AD); it was later destroyed by the Spanish Empire in 1521 AD.Christmas decorations on the buildings at the southern end of the Zócalo.Musicians performing on the stage set up in the Zócalo.Avenida Francisco I. Madero.Church of San Francisco, built in 1716 AD.‘Sitting Woman’ by Tomás Chávez Morado (1954 AD), located in the sculpture garden of the Museum of Modern Art, next to the Church of San Francisco.Casa de los Azulejos (“House of Tiles”), an 18th-century AD Baroque palace that was built by the Count of the Valle de Orizaba family.Palacio de Bellas Artes (“Palace of Fine Arts”), built in 1934 AD in a combination of Art Nouveau and Neoclassical styles.Dinner of three small beef tacos (with soft corn tortillas, fried onions and cactus, and two hot sauces) and a beer.At the the Ciudadela in Teotihuacan, with the Pyramid of the Sun and a hot air balloon in the distance.View from the large courtyard in the Ciudadela.Adosada platform with the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent behind it, both located at the end of the courtyard in the Ciudadela.Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent (built around 150 to 200 AD), seen from the Adosada platform.Some of the carved heads that adorn the Temple of the Feathered Serpent; the one on the top-left is often identified as Tlaloc (god of the rain) and the other two are the “feathered serpent” or Quetzalcoatl (patron god of the Aztec priesthood, learning, and knowledge) – the Aztec people, who came about a millennium later, worshiped these same gods.Central plaza with an altar and three pyramids along the Avenue of the Dead – the avenue that connects the Pyramid of the Moon, Pyramid of the Sun, and the Ciudadela.Pyramid of the Sun; it was built around 200 AD, stands at a height of 65.5 meters, and is the third largest pyramid of the ancient world.Looking southwest toward the Avenue of the Dead, from the Pyramid of the Sun.Western view from the Pyramid of the Sun with the Plaza of the Sun at the base of the pyramid.Viewing the Ciudadela from the Pyramid of the Sun.Pyramid of the Moon, seen from the Pyramid of the Sun.Approaching the Pyramid of the Moon on the Avenue of the Dead.Mural of a large wild cat (probably a puma) on one of the structures along the Avenue of the Dead.Plaza of the Moon with the Pyramid of the Moon at the north end of the Avenue of the Dead.Looking southward at the Avenue of the Dead from the Pyramid of the Moon.Steep steps on the Pyramid of the Moon, which was constructed between 100 and 450 AD and was primarily used for ritual sacrifices of felines, birds of prey, snakes, humans, etc.View of the Pyramid of the Moon, seen from the smaller pyramid at the northeast corner of the plaza.Plaza of the Moon with smaller pyramids on its eastern flank.Another view of the Pyramid of the Moon and its plaza.Looking back at the Avenue of the Dead and the Pyramid of the Sun.Small courtyard in Quetzalpapálotl Palace, which was built around 450 to 500 AD and likely served as a residence for the elite at Teotihuacán.Mural of a wild cat (possibly a jaguar) found on one of the walls in the Quetzalpapálotl complex.Another mural found inside the Quetzalpapálotl complex.‘Green Bird Procession’ mural found in the subterranean Temple of the Feathered Conches, which lies beneath Quetzalpapálotl Palace.Looking up at the Pyramid of the Sun.View of the Pyramid of the Sun, from the steps on the opposite side of the Avenue of the Dead.Monumento a los Niños Héroes (“Monument to the Boy Heroes”), which commemorates six Mexican military cadets who were killed in the defense of Mexico City during the Battle of Chapultepec, one of the last major battles of the Mexican–American War, on 13 September 1847 AD – located in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City.Hollow seated figure (referred to as a “baby face”), these figurines were created by the Olmecs and represent the sexual union between a jaguar and a woman – one of the many artifacts found in Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology.Relief of two zoomorphic figures (probably lizards) carved on a shell.Model recreating Teotihuacan, depicting how it would’ve looked during the height of its existence.A brazier (known as a “theater-type brazier”) where incense was burned and which would have been a sacred object of worship in Teotihuacan.Reproduction of the Mayan ‘Stela 31’ found at Tikal, which has been dated to 250-650 AD and shows a connection between the Mayan civilization and Teotihuacan.Carved figures from Teotihuacan.‘The Creator’ – a figure linked with fertility and with the divine origin of the ruling dynasties of Xochicalco since he has two penises, as well as cocoa leaves.‘Coyote Head’ – likely an early representation of the coyote warriors later taken up by the Mexica; created between 900 and 1250 AD, and taken from the El Corral Shrine in Hidalgo.Solar disc – made from 300 turquoise plates mounted on a wooden base; it was made in the Early Post-classic period (900-1250 AD) and taken from Quemado Palace in Hidalgo.Stone rings that were used in ullamaliztli (the sacred ball game played by the Mexicas).‘Head of the Eagle Warrior’ – sculpture depicting a member of the eagle warriors (one of two highly prestigious special forces orders of the Aztecs – the other being the jaguar warriors).Aztec sacrificial knife; it is made from flint and has a wooden handle with a carved depiction of an individual with a complex ritual headdress.Skull of an Aztec man that has been covered with a turquoise mosaic mask.Statue of Xochipilli (the “Lord of Flowers”), who was the god of art, games, beauty, dance, flowers, and song in Aztec mythology.‘Stone of the Sun’ – a large Mexica sacrificial altar that was not finished.‘Bat God’ – jade mask (with eyes and teeth of seashell) that depicts an idealized form of a bat’s face that represents Piquete Ziña, the Zapotec god of bats.Gold breastplate that represents the solar deity, “Señor 1 Muerte.”Turquoise mosaic mask.‘Monument 17 of San Lorenzo’ – one of the colossal head sculptures created by the Olmecs; this one was found in Veracruz and dates back to 1200-600 BC).‘Lintel 26 of Yaxchilan, Chiapas’ – along with lintels 23-25 found on the same building, it recounts the life of King Itzamnaaj B’alam II of the Maya city Yaxchilan (dated to 724 AD).‘Stela 18 from Yaxchilan, Chiapas’ – this stela recalls the capture of the Lord of Lacanjá by the Lord of Yaxchilán (from the Mayan Late Classic period, 600-800 AD).Turquoise mask and jewelry.Carving depicting the head of Chaac, the Mayan rain deity; it was taken from the Codz Pohp (“Coiled Mat”) building in Kabah, Yucatán and was made in the Late Classic period (800-1000 AD).Hollow figure that comes from Nayarit; it represents a woman ready to give birth (dated between 200 BC and 600 AD).Malinaltepec mask of a warrior, which would’ve been placed over the face of the dead during funerary rites; it is related to the Teotihuacan culture and is dated to 600-750 AD.Festive costume from the Yoemem people, who live in the Yaqui River Valley in Sonora, Mexico.Painting depicting the “White Cross Carnival,” which is linked to the agrarian calendar and is used to venerate the deities of the earth and the underworld; it includes ceremonies, offerings, music, and dances.Flag of Mexico, outside of the National Museum of Anthropology.Street in Mexico City.Dinner of chicken flautas, mushroom sope, and a Corona beer.Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, seen on the night of New Year’s Eve.Buildings at the southern end of the Zócalo, lit up at nighttime.Cuicuilco, which was built around 1000 BC and abandoned after the eruption of the volcano Xitle in 245-315 AD.University Museum of Contemporary Art – located on the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s campus.National Biodiversity Pavilion on the university’s campus; it has small metal plates that form a shell around the building and which move with the wind, thus creating some unique looking waves.Crowded street of Calz de Guadalupe, with the Expiatory Temple to Christ The King at the end.Expiatory Temple to Christ The King (also known as the “Old Sanctuary of the Virgin of Guadalupe” on the left) and the Capuchin Nuns’ Temple (on the right) in La Villa de Guadalupe (a site that contains several churches and is where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin).Façade of the Expiatory Temple to Christ The King, which was built in 1709 AD.Interior of the Expiatory Temple to Christ The King.Looking up at the dome of the Expiatory Temple to Christ The King.Altarpiece inside the Expiatory Temple to Christ The King.Carrillon for the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.Part of the automata show on the Carrillon, which occurs on the hour; it tells the story of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin and the Virgin Mary’s appearance to him here on five occasions in December 1531 AD.Statue of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin with the cloak containing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe – located in a small rose garden in La Villa de Guadalupe.Antigua Parroquia de Indios (“Indians Old Parish Church”); built in 1649 AD, it is the oldest construction in La Villa de Guadalupe.Pocito Chapel.Interior of the Pocito Chapel.Cross in front of Cerrito Chapel, which is on top of Tepeyac Hill; the Chapel is built on the site where Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin met the Virgin Mary in December 1531 AD, and received the iconic image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.Inside Cerrito Chapel.View of the Expiatory Temple to Christ The King and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, seen from Tepeyac Hill.Plaza Mariana, which has the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the western end and the Carrillon on the eastern end.Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which was built in 1976 AD and displays the cloak containing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.Walking down República de Honduras, toward Plaza Garibaldi.Agave planted in Mezcal Park, which is in Plaza Garibaldi.Mariachi band playing in Plaza Garibaldi.Sopecitos made with chicken, refried beans, Opuntia cacti, lettuce, cheese, and cream.Church of Analco, which was built in an indigenous Baroque style in 1632 AD in Puebla.Avenida 5 Oriente, looking toward Puebla Cathedral.Calle 6 Sur.Side view of Puebla Cathedral; construction began in 1575 AD, but was not completed until 1737 AD.Cypress of the Cathedral, which was built by Manuel Tolsá between 1799 and 1819 AD.Altar of the Kings inside Puebla Cathedral.Choir and organs inside the Cathedral.Another view of the exterior of Puebla Cathedral.Church of San Agustín, which was built in the 17th-century AD.Tiled façade on the building which houses the Ramón Ibarra y González Museum.Shops inside City Hall Passage.5 de Mayo historical passage.Exterior façade and bell tower of the Chapel of the Rosario, which was built in 1690 AD.Vendors and shoppers crowding Avenida 6 Oriente near Centro Comercial La Victoria.Further east on Avenida 6 Oriente.Church of the Capuchin Sisters (also known as the “Temple of St. Joachim and St. Anne”).Calle 16 de Septiembre.Figurines of the Infant Jesus on display in a shop window.Hall of Protocols of the State Government of Puebla – located at the intersection of Avenida Juan de Palafox y Mendoza and Calle 2 Norte.Municipal Palace Puebla – the city hall.Casa de los Muñecos.Colorful buildings on Calle 3 Oriente in Puebla.Entrance to the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City.‘Emiliano Zapata on Horseback’ by José Atanasio Monroy (1935 AD).‘Kevlar Fighting Costumes (set of 5)’ made by Nao Bustamante (2015 AD).Banner of the Morelos Battalion.‘Zapata’s Murder with Real Gunshots’ by Rubén Ortiz Torres (1993 AD).‘Earth or Death’ by Emanuel Martinez (1967 AD).‘Zapata Series II’ by Arnold Belkin (1978 AD).‘The Poet Alberto Hidalgo’ by Emilio Pettoruti (1925 AD).‘Vanguadistas del aillo (Vanguadistas del Ande)’ by Jorge Vinatea Reinoso (1930 AD).‘Dance of the Huichilobos’ – the center painting, which is part of the ‘Polyptych Carnival of Mexican Life’ by Diego Rivera (1936 AD).Art deco design inside the Palace of Fine Arts.‘Victim of Fascism’, which is part of the ‘New Democracy Triptych’ by David Alfaro Siqueiros (1945 AD).Art Deco depiction of Chaac, the Mayan rain deity, on a light panel inside the Palace of Fine Arts.‘Torment of Cuauhtémoc’, which is part of the ‘Cuauhtémoc Monument Diptych’ by David Alfaro Siqueiros (1950-1951 AD).‘Catharsis or the Eternal Struggle of Humanity for a Better World’ by José Clemente Orozco (1934-1935 AD).Chinese parasols and paper lanterns over Dolores street in Barrio Chino – Mexico City’s Chinatown.Chapitel del Calvario – a church in Cuernavaca that was constructed in 1532 AD.Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas – a pedestrian street with restaurants and bars in Cuernavaca.Palacio de Cortés (“Palace of Cortés”) – it was built by Hernán Cortés and completed in 1535 AD; it is now home to the Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac, which is dedicated to the history of Morelos State.Figure of a coati – a long-nosed mammal that is native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States; the artifact was found in Xochicalco, which is a site founded by the Olmeca-Xicalanca (they are a Mayan group of traders from Campeche).Iguana figure that was also found in Xochicalco.Netzahualcoyotl street in Cuernavaca.Christmas decorations in Plaza de Armas with the Palacio de Gobierno Estado de Morelos (“Government Palace for the State of Morelos”) in the background.Colonnade of the Government Palace of the State of Morelos.Day of the Dead decoration still up on a wall in Cuernavaca.Fountain on the exterior of the wall enclosing the Cuernavaca Cathedral compound.Tercera Orden Chapel, which stands in the northwest corner of the Cathedral compound; it was built in 1722 AD by Enrique de Jeres, a Franciscan friar.Inside the Tercera Orden Chapel.Painting inside the Chapel that depicts Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit as the Trinity.Side entrance of the Tercera Orden Chapel.Chapel of Santa María.Bell tower and façade of the Cuernavaca Cathedral, which had recently been restored.Interior of the Cuernavaca Cathedral, which was built in 1534 AD.Fresco inside the Cuernavaca Cathedral.Looking down Calle de Salazar, at Popocatépetl – one of two volcanoes that overshadow Cuernavaca from the east (the other volcano is Iztaccihuatl).Ravine that runs through Cuernavaca.Enchiladas with mole sauce, a beer, and a frozen margarita.Two craft beers from Mexico.
