麻豆APP

Templo Mayor Museum. Historic Center of CDMX, Mexico. Image by Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata –

Top 10 Remarquable Facts About Templo Mayor Museum

The Templo Mayor Museum is located on the ruins of the Great Temple of the Aztec Empire, in its ancient capital of Tenochtitlan now Mexico City. Much of its physical structure was destroyed during the Spanish conquest. The collection of buildings that make up this museum began to be discovered between 1978 and 1982, but the museum was officially opened on the 12^th of October 1987 and named the 鈥�Museo del Templo Mayor. In the museum, you can see the artifacts extracted from the grounds that compromise the archeological zone. The facilities have eight rooms and a hall for special exhibitions. It offers the following services; – access to the museum and the archeological site, shopping, cinema club, educational services, friends of the museum, exhibitions, books, a library and documented center, cinema club, audio guides, access for disabled persons, nighttime visits, and areas of the museum for cultural events. This place is often open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 5:00.

1. Templo Mayor Museum offers free admission for national citizens on Sundays

Cholula polychrome incense burner type, discovered in the Street of Escalerillas by Leopoldo Batres in 1900. Col. National Museum of Anthropology, INAH”. Templo Mayor, Mexico City, Mexico.
Photograph by Mike Peel –

How many museums allow free admissions on a weekend? The Templo Mayor is one of the very few to do that. The Mexican Museums Board offers an incredible offer to promote local tourism. It also helps the Mexican people to know more about their culture before the Spanish invasion in the early 14^th century. The free admission comes in handy as local tourism and revenues generated from the other services offered in the museum have shown a great increase.    

2. It hosts the ruins of the Templo Mayor

Ruins of the Great Temple.Historic Center of Mexico City. Image by Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata –

The Templo Mayor (鈥楳ain Temple鈥�) was the main place of worship for the Aztec Empire. It was located in their capital Tenochtitlan which is now Mexico City. The name Templo Mayor was used by the Franciscan monk Bernardino de Sahagun, who was one of the main chronicles of Aztec history and culture. The Temple was built after 1325, and it was rebuilt six times. It was later destroyed in 1521 by the Spanish invaders to make way for the New Mexico City Cathedra

3. It neighbors some other interesting historical sites

Ruins of the Templo Mayor and Metropolitan Cathedral. Image byJuan Carlos Fonseca Mata –

Templo Mayor museum located in Mexico City is one of the few tourist attractions in the city. It is neighbored by historic and archeological sites such as; – Diego Rivera Mural Museum which is home to one of his finest works, Sueno de Una Tarde dominical en le Almeda Central 鈥楧ream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central. It is also close to other sites such as the Cathedral Church 鈥淚glesia cathedral鈥� built by the Spanish invaders. The church was built using the ruins of the Templo Mayor.

4. Templo Mayor museum was built in resemblance to the old Templo Mayor

Repair and restoration of the archaeological zone of the Templo Mayor. Image by Luis Alvaz –

The museum was designed by the Mexican architect Pedro Ramirez Vazquez. Its design is based on the shape of the actual Templo Mayor. It has two sections: the South developed to aspects of the worship of Huitzilopochtli like war, sacrifice, and tribute, and the North dedicated to Tlaloc which is focused on aspects such as flora, fauna, and agriculture. In this way, the museum reflects the Aztec worldview of the duality of life and death, water and war, and the symbols represented by Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli.

5. It is located in the heart of Mexico City

View from the Photography Archive Museum. Image by ProtoplasmaKid –

The Templo Mayor is located at the heart of the modern Mexico City which was built in the former capital of the Aztec people, Teotihuacan. It is situated in the 鈥楶laza de la Constitucion鈥�, also known as the Zocalo, right next to the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral and across from the National Palace.

6. It acts as a host for many artifacts

Wall display of stone masks found at the Templo Mayor site on display at the Templo Mayor museum in Mexico City. Image by Thelmadatter –

The Museo del Templo Mayor hosts about 7000 artifacts that were uncovered from the ruins of the Templo Mayor. These artifacts are of a wide range and help in creating a photographic simulation of the culture of the Ancient Mexican people of the Aztec Empire. These artifacts help play a role in helping the Mexican people learn more about their culture and know their ancestors鈥� way of life back then.

7. Templo Mayor museum is divided into several rooms

Templo Mayor Museum at site of Aztec Great Temple, Mexico City. Image by
Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China –

The museum is divided into eight rooms and a lobby. Each room represents a specific aspect of the Aztec culture. For example, Room two is the Ritual and Sacrifice Room. In it are the artifacts that were used in the various societal rituals which varied depending on time and form. Artifacts used in self-sacrificial rituals such as face knives, as well as skull masks can also be seen. Also, the visitor will be able to see other objects related to ritual ceremonies, such as braziers, in which copal was burned, figures made with resin, musical instruments, necklaces, and sumptuary beads, among others. This division of the museum into rooms allows one to clearly distinguish various aspects of the ancient culture and offers a guided pathway to its full understanding.

8. It offers a variety of exhibitions

This is a photo of a monument in Mexico, identified by ID. Image by AlejandroLinaresGarcia –

It is quite unlikely for one to find an exhibition in a museum nowadays considering all the ancient art has been sold to wealthy people for huge fortunes of money. This means that most of the ancient artwork is locked up in fancy mansions. However, this museum is the opposite of that as it has several exhibitions including seeds of life, the Coras of Nayar, Meaaezuma II, Machu Picchu, 25 years recovering our past, and, Aromatic smoke for the gods. These exhibitions help in giving the people of Mexico a sense of heritage since they mostly showcase the culture of their ancestors.

9. It is a hub of many activities

Templo Mayor Museum at site of Aztec Great Temple, Mexico City.  Image by Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China –

In the museum, the visitor can engage in several activities to help satisfaction of their quest for adventure. The activities include workshops, tours, cultural events, and cinema. The most common activity is the tour in which the museum provides a guide to take you through the tour and ensure you are informed about the museum鈥檚 history.

10. Templo Mayor museum actively participates in research programs

Shells from Gulf at Templo Mayor Museum, Mexico City. CoastGary Todd from Xinzheng, China –

One of the priority aspects within the Museo del Templo Mayor is research. When the museum was inaugurated in 1987, the researchers continued with the various studies they had on it. Between 1978 and 1987 around 150 files had been published. As of today, the number of publications has almost doubled and some of which have brought awards to their researchers both locally and internationally.