This name was given by the Aztecs and means "The place of the gods." It is located fewer than 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Mexico City.

Very little is known of the people who built Teotihuacan. This city was built around 200 BCE and reached its peak in the first half of the first millennium CE, before being abandoned for unknown reasons. Due to an absence of (or as of yet undiscovered) royal palaces and graves, the lack of evidence for a cult of personality, and the as-of-yet undeciphered hieroglyphs, the governing system of Teotihuacan remains largely elusive to scholars. Nevertheless, the dramatic monumental architecture and dense urban fabric reveal a complex environment carefully planned to support a large population but also structured by the surrounding natural environment and in relation to specific constellations and planetary events.

The Teotihuacan Pyramids are among the most iconic and well-preserved pyramids in Mexico and the world. These structures were built with enormous stones, some weighing over 200 tons, which were quarried from nearby mountains and transported to the site using an unknown method.

The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan, and the second largest in all of Mesoamerica, only behind the pyramid of Cholula. It stands at 216 feet tall and covers an area of almost four acres.

The Pyramid of the Moon, located at the northern end of the Avenue of the Dead, is slightly smaller, but still an impressive structure. Its final shape was acquired after seven construction stages and it rises to 140 feet (43 metres) and measures 426 by 511 feet (130 by 156 metres) at its base. Both pyramids are aligned with astronomical events, such as the equinoxes and solstices, suggesting that the city's builders had advanced knowledge of astronomy.

The layout of Teotihuacan is quite unique, with the central thoroughfare known as the Avenue of the Dead running through the heart of the city. The Feathered Serpent Pyramid and Ciudadela comprise a monumental architectural complex. The Ciudadela consists of four connected platforms that measure about 1,300 feet to a side and bound a large plaza. This structure became the political, cultural and economic center of the city of Teotihuacán.

The Feathered Serpent Pyramid was the third largest temple platform of the site after the Sun and the Moon Pyramids. The four surviving steps of the facade (there were originally seven) are adorned with striking carvings. The feathered serpent deity alternates with a two-fanged creature identified as the fire serpent, bearer of the sun on its daily journey across the sky.

The Palace of Quetzalpapalotl is without doubt the finest palatial building at Teotihuacan. With its large, painted, tablero-style lintels and ornately carved pillars inlaid with obsidian and mica. The palace takes its name from the images found upon the pillars which were thought to be of Quetzalpapalotl – the “feathered-butterfly”.

The site also features mural paintings, ceramic creations, obsidian objects, among other archaeological treasures. Furthermore, its orthogonal urban grid system defined the city, with a geometric design reflective of Mesoamerican cosmology.

More information about the archaeological site