Tourism is currently one of the most important economic and cultural activities that a country or a region has. Tourism is composed of all those activities that have to do with knowing or enjoying regions or spaces in which one does not live permanently. Tourism can present many variants as there are different types of tourism, such as cultural, historical, adventure, academic, entertainment, etc. In the same way, there are also different people who perform various types of tourism: young people, families, senior citizens, scholars, researchers, couples, friends, etc. Regardless of the possible variants of tourism, the importance of this activity lies in two main pillars. The first is the one that has to do with the movement and the economic …show more content…
Forming part of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, Mexico City was built on the ruins of those magnificent palaces and gorgeous temples. For present-day Mexicans, Templo Mayor is an archaeological site and museum located in the heart of the Mexican capital. For the Aztecs of pre-Hispanic Mexico, it was a ceremonial center of great relevance. The temple is part of those ruins, discovered by chance while performing construction work on the metro of the city. “Thanks to discoveries by archaeologists, we know that the Aztecs built huge and unique structures. Visitors to Tenochtitlán and other Aztec cities would have marveled at the temples, palaces, and city walls” (401). One of these structures is Templo Mayor. Tenochtitlan is one of the most visited places in the Mexican Republic, being a site where the knowledge of the Aztec culture is represented in its maximum expression. The Templo Mayor has an impressive architecture and it is amazing how today, after thousands of years it can be visited. “Undoubtedly, it is an ‘obligatory stop’ for local people and tourists” (Sigala & Leslie 2016:157). Although all these facts can be known through encyclopedias, maps, and photos, it is only through tourism that people can interact directly with those different realities that one is used to experiencing, thus …show more content…
“Since its inauguration in 1987, Templo Mayor has evolved from being predominantly a site of special interest for scholars and researchers to a tourist attraction of substantial cultural significance” (Sigala & Leslie 2016: 161). The building of the Templo Mayor, with its impressive pyramidal design, included not only the temples dedicated to Huitzilopochtli- the god of war, and Tláloc- the god of rain, but also the Calmecac, the Ball Game, the Tzompantli, the Temple of Ehécatl and the House of the Eagles. The temple was built in seven different stages each one of them built by an emperor. Annex to the temple is the Museum of the Templo Mayor. “The museum adjoining the ruins helps one imagine how the site must have appeared when the Spanish arrived in 1519. There’s a representation of what the temple may have looked like, and you’ll be rewarded with the best collection of Aztec artifacts anywhere” (Ray 2011). In their tour of the museum, tourists can observe the relics discovered by archaeologists during the excavation of the ruins. Distributed in eight different areas, the objects provide a sample of the era of the Aztec empire. Each area covers one of the aspects of the Templo Mayor, ranging from rituals and economy, to agriculture. Visitors can look for the model of the ancient city, located at the entrance of the museum, to see the appearance of the site during its time of splendor. Best of all, is that
... A few photos of Tenochtitlan and warriors headdresses, clubs and obsidian blades would increase the pleasure 10 fold. Also in places the author tends to divert to other Ameriindian cultures and use their ritual practices as examples. These comparisons can bring the ritual practices of a 500 year extant culture into modern day belief.
Johns recognizes the architectural dependence of the influential Mexicans constructing Mexico City when he states, “Mexican architecture, on the other hand, was an expression of a city run by a people who were looking to create their own culture while entirely dependent on the industry and ideas of Europe and America” (22). The same construction that the elite felt was a celebration of a newfound dignity in the Mexican people was criticized, by visitors and locals alike, as grandiose and a futile effort to shield the native roots of a circle of imposters. Johns’s argues that the “Mexicans knew little of their adopted European tradition, had acquired even less of its taste, and enjoyed none of its tranquility” (23). While the influence on the Westside led to development, the squalor and lack of authority of the peasants on the Eastside created mesones, or as Johns described them, “.a little more than ‘a bare spot to lie down in, a grass mat, company with (the) vermin that squalor breeds.’” (48).
The stone was found in 1790 by accident in the Plaza Mayor of Mexico City, when workmen who were excavating the earth to pave the plaza. It was discovered facedown, so it only seemed as if it was a large blank stone until it was turned over and the intricate details and deity was finally shown. It was decided to be set on the side on the Catedral Metropolitana, where it was abused and misunderstood for nearly a century. It wasn’t until 1885 and almost a hundred years of abuse by the people of Mexico, it was decided to be placed in the Museo Nacional. Although researchers at the time knew the importance of the Aztec stone, “students of Mexican antiquities, the founders of our archaeology, eagerly urged the successive governments to shelter and protect this significant monument of the pre-Hispanic past from the ignominy that it had suffered. According to chroniclers of the period, when it was displayed, the ignorant masses hurled filth and rotten fruit at the calendrical relief. Even the soldiers who at a certain time occupied the centre of Mexico—because of the constant violent tumult and foreign invasions that characteriz...
Most art and architecture in the Aztec civilization was based on their religion. There are many brightly colored murals and paintings on walls and on bark which depict religious ceremonies, along with large idols of gods. One of the most amazing and famous of the...
The Aztec Empire was the most powerful Mesoamerican kingdom of all time. They dominated the valley of Mexico in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The Aztecs were an advanced and successful civilization that built beautiful, sophisticated cities, temples, and pyramids. They also created a culture full of creativity with mythological and religious traditions. Aztecs lead a structured and evocative life that let their society to become a very superior civilization. The Aztec’s communication skills were very well developed for their time; through religious beliefs, government involvement, and family life they lived a full and productive life. Until in 1519 when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Mexico, and defeated the Aztecs.
This historical study will define the important role of Hernan Cortes in the colonization of Mexico in the age of the Spanish conquistador. Cortes was an important figure in Mexican history because of his discovery of Mexico at the Yucatan peninsula in 1519. During this time, Cortes became a historical figure that represented the “conquistador” system of conquest throughout the Mayan and Aztec Empires during the early part of the 15th century. The fall of these indigenous civilizations marked the beginning of Spanish colonization of Central America. Cortes was a significant figure because of the primarily military style of coercion and conquest that sought to annihilate the indigenous peoples of Mexico, and to claim Spanish territory. These conquests contributed significantly to the blend of indigenous and Spanish traditions of Mexico’s national history. Cortes represents the first phase of colonization for the Spanish empire in terms of the violent and aggressive nature of the Spanish Conquistador in the discovery of Mexico. The image of the Spanish conquistador as an often violent and ruthless colonizer is defined the invasion and destruction of the Aztec empire in Mexican history. In essence, a
The fact that Aztec culture found a way to survive is significant. It shows the powerful resiliency of its followers and their ability to adapt to difficult conditions. From the followers of the Virgin of Guadalupe to those of the Day of the Dead to the worshippers of La Santa Muerte, the existence of the vibrant stories, holidays and traditions reveal that no matter how much a culture is oppressed, the fundamental human need for a collective identity allows conquest cultures to not only survive, but flourish as well.
In a matter of three to four years, Cortes had effectively conquered the Aztec peoples through a blend of fierce militarism, diplomacy, and treachery as part of the motivation to colonize the indigenous peoples. Surely, the symbolism of the Spanish conquistador is conformed in the total colonization and defeat of the Aztec civilization ass part of Cortes’ mission in Mexico. More so, the capital of Mexico, Mexico City, was built on the foundations of the city of Tenochtitlan as a basis for the formation of Mexico as a colonial state governed through Spain: Since Hernan Cortes made the decision to construct his new capital on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec city of lakes” (Krauze 3). In this context, the importance of Cortes’ role in Mexico is defining moment in the Spanish culture that dominated the indigenous populations after the defeat of the Aztecs. Cortes was a leading figure in the first phase of Spanish colonization of Central America, which would result in larger Spanish colonization of this region through the 16th
Architecture, like many things, can also be made for the use of or inspired by the symbols people believe in. Therefore, art and architecture in Ancient Mesoamerica can be stated to be made for the use of religious symbols. Making architecture and art forms takes effort, dedication, and patience. Architecture can take years to make, as was s...
Upon landing inland in Mexico Hernan knew that he had to win the trust of the indeginous people in order to share rule. The capital of the Mexica or the Aztecs was Tenochtitlán, a large and vast city full of large buildings and communities where they flourished. The leader of this small city-state was Montezuma, who was cared and adored by his people. The people of Tenochtitlán worshiped and feared a demi god Qoetocotal because he founded the land which they stay ...
The Templo Mayor is the center of Tenochtitlan and houses many of the statues representing the Aztec deities
...tures are built in the attempt to be noticed for their cultural significance but not as a main religious gathering place, and they both have spacious ambulatories for flow of spectators. Now in contrast of the two monuments, the pair have differences in their imagery, exterior as well as added spacing. The Dome of the Rock has mosaics on its exterior and interior and the mosaics are non representational. The overall shape of the temple is simply a dome on a octagonal base. However, San Vitale has multiple images of figures and animals but excludes it to only its interior. In addition, unlike the Dome of the Rock, its floor plan consists of a narthax, two towers, an apse and two chapels. By studying these monuments, it is possible to understand the importance of religious or cultural imagery as well as limiting materials for construction in these distinctive areas.
The “Lost City of the Incas” has a history attached to its name. It is believed to have been built between 1440 and 1450 at the pinnacle of the Inca reign. Machu Picchu is thought to have originally been built as a sacred religion site, and this is based off of its location. Due to little information about the Inca, it is difficult to determine the city’s history between the time it was built up the the Spanish conquest.
The aim of this essay is to carefully examine the existing resources of tourism within the destination their potential and weakness, SWOT and PEST analysis, statistics of tourist visiting and comparing those numbers and their demographic factors so on. Moreover the objectives of this essay is to discuss and me...
There is not really a universally accepted definition of tourism. In 1994 the World Tourism Organization (WTO) revised its definition. It says the tourism comprises of 'the activities of persons travelli...