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Photo: BekaHari, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The site of the main Aztec temple of Tenochtitlan, it was destroyed by Spanish conquistadors in 1521, who then promptly erected the Cathedral roughly over it – but not quite. Centuries later, nearly completely forgotten, its actual location was discovered by accident in 1978 when electrical workers found a piece of a large stone disc depicting the goddess Coyolxauhqui. This set off a few furious years of archaeological digging, resulting in a rather surprising (and extremely significant) discovery that nested underneath the original Aztec temple was six distinct smaller, older temples. You can see each layer walking through the dig site.
The Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenōchtitlan, which is now Mexico City. Erected in its final form in the late Postclassic period, the temple was called Huēyi Teōcalli in the Nahuatl language, meaning 'great church' or 'great house of god', and understood to be the center of the universe. It was dedicated simultaneously to Huītzilōpōchtli, god of war, and Tlāloc, god of rain and agriculture, each of which had a shrine at the top of the pyramid with separate staircases. The central spire was devoted to Quetzalcōātl in his form as the wind god, Ehēcatl. The temple devoted to Huītzilōpōchtli and Tlāloc, measuring approximately 100 by 80 m at its base, dominated the Sacred Precinct. Construction of the first temple began sometime after 1325, and it was rebuilt six times. The temple was almost totally destroyed by the Spanish in 1521, and Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral was built nearby.
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This excellent four-story museum was designed by Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, and built in 1987 to showcase the many artifacts found on the site. Highlights include the Coyolxauhqui disc as well as the many thousands of offerings found during the still-ongoing excavation.
Iglesia de Santa Teresa
Built in 1678 and refurbished in 1845.
Antiguo Palacio del Arzobispado
Eclectic art collection owned by the government's Finance ministry. Mexico has an innovative tax program that allows collectors and artists to pay tax debts by donating significant artworks. The collection includes works by famous artists like Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Rufino Tamayo as well as many cutting-edge contemporary works.
Housed in the historic 16th-century Casa de las Ajaracas, it is a rare survivor on a street that has seen other historic structures knocked down to explore the Templo Mayor site. The museum is home to a huge collection of historical photographs from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, documenting the constantly changing cityscape of Mexico City.
Features an open-air diorama of the old Tenochtitlán.
House of the First Print Shop in the Americas
This building, which dates from 1524, housed the first printing press in the New World, which operated from 1539 until 1560. After this time the building was used for a number of purposes until it was restored by the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) in 1989; it now houses a museum displaying some of the first books printed in Mexico.