Area C: Hidalgo and State of Mexico - West

State of Hidalgo

There are buses to Tula from Terminal del Norte in Mexico City. The journey takes a couple of hours or so.

History

Culture: Toltec

Around 700-800, many bands of nomads entered this region and settled at what is called Tula Chico. They set up a unique ethnically mixed culture. 

After 900, Tula Grande was built, where the main ruins of today are to be found, and it was from here that the Toltec power centre began to exercise immense political and economical influence over large parts of Mexico. The empire came to fill the vacuum created by the fall of Teotihuacan and in 1100 the population of Tula is estimated to have been sixty thousand. There has also been a lot said about Tula's links to Chichén Itzá in the Yucatán.

The end of Tula's story was one of bitter political in-fighting and eventual invasion by other migrating groups. In later centuries, Tula was revered as a sacred place by the Aztecs, who built offerings buildings here.

For more about other Classic Cities of Central Mexico, see Cultural History.

Tour. (Scroll down to follow complete tour, or click on feature below and use your BACK key to return to map)

The walk from the site entrance will bring us to the North Ball Court, which like the second at Tula is "I"-shaped.

    Ball Court

On the north side of the main pyramid in front of us will be seen the coatepantli, or Wall of Serpents.

On the inner side of this is a well preserved frieze depicting a rather grisly scene of a long line of snakes swallowing skeletal people, who are thought to be warriors.

Coatepantli   

Just to the east is the Palace of Quetzalcoatl, with wall and floor panelling still in evidence. This probably housed the priests of Tula.

Palace of Quetzalcoatl   

Making our way back around to the west side of the pyramid we will see to our right, the extensive Palace of the Columns.

    Palace of the Columns

To those familiar with it, this building will immediately be reminiscent of the Temple of the Warriors at Chichén Itzá. This flat enclosure contains three halls with many columns , once supporting a roof. The building's function was apparently public administration.

As we enter the central Plaza of Tula and before advancing up the stairway of the main pyramid, there will be found a small covered alcove known as the Vestibule.

Vestibule   

This construction has a low seat running around the inside with a carved procession of warriors and priests.

The main pyramid at Tula is called the Temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, or Quetzalcoatl in his guise as the god of dawn. The wide, flat platform atop the pyramid is home to the atlantes. These are the immense stone statues that have drawn one's eye throughout the former part of the tour.

    Temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli

The atlantes are Toltec warriors in their full regalia, dressed for battle. They apparently supported an existing roof covering this, the most sacred of the temples at Tula. Other carved pillars are to be found on this platform at lesser heights to the atlantes.

Atlantes   

The other conspicuous but far less preserved building bordering the Plaza is known as Mound C.

    Mound C

The rubble covering this structure has only partly been removed, showing the remains of a staircase, but Mound C may well have originally been the tallest pyramid at Tula.

The first of the two low buildings bordering the west side of the Plaza is called the tzompantli, or Place of Skulls.

Tzompantli   

This ruin containing two columns was actually built a few centuries later by the Aztecs and was used to house decapitated human heads.

Just behind the Tzompantli is to be found the South Ball Court. It is slightly larger than the first, but its sides are not as high.

    South Ball Court