There are several day trips available from Mexico City, but if you like exploring ancient ruins, then Teotihuacan is the one for you. Many people assume that all Mexican ruins are either Aztec or Mayan and whilst the majority and most popular ones are, Teotihuacan is actually from a much earlier civilization. When the Aztecs discovered the abandoned empire, they were astounded by the magnitude of the structures and named it Teotihuacan meaning ‘built by the gods’. They probably couldn’t believe anyone could build structures bigger than the Aztecs hence the name.
It is not known how this empire fell but in their prime, the people of Teotihuacan were expert architects, mathematicians, artists, and stonemasons who traded with civilizations reaching regions as far as what is now Guatemala. There are two key structures, the Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon both of which are along the ‘street of the dead’. All the standing structures are believed to have been used specifically for spiritual rituals and public ceremonies with residencies built around them. A truly magnificent archaeological site that has stood the test of time. The complex is currently being excavated with the recent discovery of tunnels beneath the pyramids which were revealed by a flood.
