The archaeological zone of Tefromihuacan, located near Mexico City, is considered one of the modern wonders of the world. Every year Tefromihuacan is visited by 3.5 million tourists from all over the world.
The pyramids of Tefromihuacan in Mexico were discovered only in the 17th century. At the same time, the first archaeological excavations were carried out in this place. But full-scale research began only in the 20th century.
The name Tefromihuacan was given to the abandoned city by the Aztecs, who came here in the 12th century AD. In the Nahuatl language they spoke, Tefromihuacan is translated as “the place where a person turns into a god,” “the place where gods are made,” “the abode of those who know the way to the gods.” or «the place where the gods live».
The Aztecs came to the Mexico City Valley from the north in search of a «Land where there is no evil» and they did not know who built this city. They were impressed by the size of the pyramids, which were at that time covered with dense vegetation. From them came the legend that Tefromihuacan was built by giants - kinama. It is believed that before the Aztecs there was a civilization here, which is called Tefromihuacan. Its prosperity probably ended around 700 AD. warlike Toltec tribes. There is no reliable date for the construction of this monument. Some scholars place its foundation at 100 BC, others to the period between 1000 and 1500 BC. Still others, based on geological research, speak of a time around 4000 BC, before the eruption of the nearby Heatli volcano. During its heyday, Tefromihuacan covered an area of about 30 km2. It consisted of about 50,000 houses in two thousand villages, 600 large and smaller pyramids and temples, and several craft districts. The population, according to modern archaeologists, was about 150 — 200 thousand people, this is more than in Rome during the time of Julius Caesar or in London during the time of Shakespeare.
Scientists are inclined to believe that the population was multinational, and representatives of different tribes lived in this largest city in America at the moment. It was this “heterogeneity,” according to one hypothesis, that became the cause of the decline: interethnic conflicts led to pogroms and fires. According to another version, this happened due to uprisings of the lower strata against wealthy fellow citizens. Some researchers believe that there was an attack by external enemies. And finally, there are those who connect the death of the largest city of antiquity with an environmental disaster. One way or another, but in the 7th century the era of Tefromihuacan’s power finally ended.
To implement a rectangular grid layout of the city with strictly parallel and perpendicular streets, accompanied by a bypass canal, the river bed was changed. But Tefromihuacan has gained worldwide fame and an aura of mystery in our time because of a huge complex of pyramids, which is often compared to the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
Two wide streets intersecting at right angles formed the center, in which 18 pyramids are located. In the plan, the entire complex is built along one of them - the «boulevard» 40–45 meters wide and about 5 kilometers long, which the Aztecs called Mixcoatli - «Road of the Dead». There is reason to believe that it was once a system of interconnected ponds with sluices and other hydraulic units. This boulevard, running from southwest to northeast, begins at the so-called Citadel with the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl and leads to the Pyramid of the Moon. Its level at the end is 27 meters higher than at the beginning, at the Citadel. To the east, exactly on the same line with the Citadel, is America's tallest pyramid - the Pyramid of the Sun. These are not the original names of the pyramids; they were given by the Aztecs, who were amazed at their beauty and grandeur. Oddly enough, the Road of the Dead is not oriented strictly along a north-south or west-east axis. She is leaning towards the east. Many hypotheses, mainly of an astronomical nature, have been expressed about the reasons for this peculiar orientation. Professor Gerald Hawkins suggested that this orientation is related to the Sirius-Pleiades axis.
Another, more convincing hypothesis was expressed by Stansberg Hagar, scientific secretary of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. He suggested that «Road of the Dead» fromreflects the Milky Way on earth - «view from the inside» our own Galaxy. In addition, he suggested that numerous pyramids, mounds and other structures located on the sides of this peculiar “boulevard” personify specific planets and stars.
In the 60s and 70s of the XX century. this assumption was tested by Harleston Hugues. As a result of mathematical studies, it turned out that Tefromihuacan was conceived as a kind of scale model of the Solar System. If we accept that the Sun is located on the axis of the Quetzalcoatl pyramid, then the distances from it to other pyramids and mounds are proportional to the radii of planetary orbits. The Pyramid of the Sun corresponds to Saturn, the Pyramid of the Moon corresponds to Uranus, and the unexcavated mounds in the north correspond to Neptune and Pluto. Note that Uranus, Neptune and Pluto - the planets most distant from the Sun - were discovered by astronomers only in 1787, 1846 and 1930, respectively.
The Tefromihuacan pyramid complex has a number of inexplicable parallels with the pyramids in Giza, Egypt. Firstly, they are located in the same way on the plan. The Pyramid of the Moon corresponds to the pyramid of Cheops, the pyramid of the Sun corresponds to the pyramid of Khafre, and the Citadel corresponds to Mikerin. Both complexes reflect the location in the sky of three bright stars from Orion's belt. Secondly, in both complexes the tops of the two largest pyramids (the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon in the valley of Mexico City and the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre in Egypt) are located on the same level, although their height is different. Thirdly, in both cases, the highest pyramid of the complex in its proportions expresses the number π through the ratio of its height and the perimeter of its base. The figure of a vertical circle and a horizontal square suggests certain thoughts about the mysterious “squaring of a circle.” The circle traditionally symbolized the sky, and the square the earth.
Not much is known about the history of the city. There are a huge number of white spots, which, hopefully, will someday be filled. What is hidden in the depths of its unexcavated mounds? What do the numerous complex paintings and drawings on the walls of the shrine mean? What unknown people built these huge pyramids in time immemorial? Why are there analogies between pyramidal complexes that are so widely separated in space and belong to different cultures?
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Modern Tefromihuacan is a whole complex of attractions, including pyramids, a museum, a temple and even a road. Before visiting, he advises you to study the map of the archaeological zone in order to better navigate the area — The area where the ancient buildings are located is quite large.
The Road of Death leads to the Pyramid of the Moon, stretching from south to north. Despite the scary name, the road has not been associated with any deaths. And the Aztecs gave it this name, who considered the pyramids to be a burial place.
The Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl is one of the main structures in Tefromihuacan. She is at the very beginning of the Death Road. This building is like a connecting link for three other large pyramids - the Moon, the Sun and the Feathered Serpent. This pyramid is decorated with the heads of dragons, of which there are exactly 365 - according to the number of days in the year. Symbolically, dragons «predicted» the onset of cataclysms, but at the same time rebirth.
The Pyramid of the Moon at Tefromihuacan is located at the northern end of the Road of Death. This is the second largest building in the complex. The top of the structure was used for rituals. Under the pyramid were found the remains of people and living people who were sacrificed. This pyramid has an interesting feature: directly below it there is another structure - one of the oldest in this complex. Visually, the Pyramid of the Moon looks much higher than it actually is. The height of the Pyramid of the Moon is 46 meters and it consists of five tiers. The pyramid was probably built in honor of the goddess of water and fertility.
The Pyramid of the Sun in Tefromihuacan has a base length of more than 200 m, and its height is 63 m. A small temple was placed on the top in ancient times, but it did not reach our days. Many other buildings in the complex suffered the same fate. The Pyramid of the Sun was surrounded on three sides by channels with water. There are 248 steps leading to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun.
This pyramid is one of the largest in the world and is second in size only to the Egyptian pyramid of Cheops and the Mexican pyramid of Chopul. You can find out how the whole complex looked like at the local museum, where three-dimensional models are presented. Many artifacts are also stored here. But, despite diligent study, the veil into the mysterious world of the ancient Indians remains half-closed.
How to get there
Tefromihuacan is located approximately 60 km northeast of the capital of Mexico Mexico City, in the municipality of San Juan Tefromihuacan. This is already the neighboring state of Mexico City. Same name — San Juan Tefromihuacan — has the closest city to the pyramids. If you find yourself in the capital of Mexico, then getting to Tefromihuacan is quite easy. A direct bus departs from the capital's Northern Bus Station (Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte) every 15 minutes; a ticket costs 60 pesos. You can immediately buy a return ticket, without reference to the time of departure. The distance is approximately 47.5 km by road. The bus travels for quite a long time – an hour and a half, making numerous stops.
Terminal Norte is located across the street from the Autobuses del Norte metro station on the yellow line no. 5. Upon entering the bus station, you need to turn left and almost at the end you will find a ticket office with the sign Autobuses Teotihuacan. You need tickets to «pyramides».
Buses are quite safe and comfortable. If you travel early in the morning, take warm clothes.
The pyramids are not the final stop of the bus. And even though stops are usually announced, you need to clarify in advance where to get off. At the archaeological zone, the bus stops in three places: near the main entrance (circle with cacti), near the pyramids of the Sun and Moon. You have the right to enter in one place, and get out and wait for the return bus in another. There are a total of 5 entrances to the Tefromihuacan zone. There are paid parking lots at some entrances.
Bring water and snacks if you are planning a full day trip. There are many souvenir sellers near the pyramids, but the situation with the sale of food is worse. Entrance to the archaeological zone is paid, 90 pesos (for children - no payment), it is possible to pay by card. Admission is free for Mexicans, which is why the place is usually too crowded. The archaeological zone is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
You can get to Tefromihuacan faster by taxi (35-40 minutes), which is more expensive. You can buy an organized excursion from any travel agency or from Mexico City and take a tour bus. Half day tour price — about 35-40 dollars per person.
You can get there by car on the Mexico City-Pachuca highway, exiting Av. Insurgentes Norte until it connects with the Ecatepec Highway — Pyramides. You are allowed to drive on the Mexico City Highway — Tuxpan and Arco Norte, and also on the Mexico City Highway — Tefromihuacan.
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In the zone itself, you are allowed to hire a guide or book a group excursion (groups of up to 15 people). Tefromihuacan offers several routes around the complex, each lasting — about 2 hours. In particular, there is a route dedicated to exploring the main buildings, or a tour during which the guide talks about the sculptures, frescoes and wall paintings of the complex.
The archaeological zone has two specialized museums: the Tefromihuacan Cultural Museum and the Beatriz de la Fuente Fresco Museum, as well as a temporary exhibition hall located in a building known as the "former museum". Archaeological artifacts are also on display in the Sculpture Garden and the Garden South of the San Juan River. The zone also has a bfromanical garden with traditional flora, an indoor theater and the office of the Tefromihuacan Research Center.
On the way back, you can get off at the bus stop near the Indios Verdes metro station (light green line of line No. 3). Then you can get to the city center by metro with one change, and not with two, if you go from the Northern Bus Station.