Have you ever had the feeling that ancient civilizations are playing a joke on us, leaving behind perplexing structures for us to scratch our heads over? Welcome to Teotihuacan, a sprawling pre-Columbian city cloaked in mystery, with iconic pyramids and temples built by a powerful culture long gone.
The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.
― L.P. Hartley
Teotihuacan to Ourselves
We were up before the roosters to secure some alone time with the stone giants, having heard tales of the relentless hordes that descend on this place later in the day.
Bleary-eyed from the late-night reunion and wee-hours chat with our European friend who inspired this whole journey, the three of us emerged from the Uber into the crisp Teotihuacan air.
At Gate #1 (out of five), we paid our 90 pesos ($5.30) and were welcomed to enter, full 40 minutes before the official opening time. Stepping into the vast, silent expanse of majestic pyramids and plazas, disbelief washed over me.
I imagined the countless others who had stood in this very spot over the two millennia, jaws dropped in awe. Although the vibrant paints had long faded from the facades, the view still connected us across the ages, we were united in bearing witness to the engineering marvels of Teotihuacan.
I could almost hear the hum of activity that once animated this city. But for now, we got to relish the meditative solitude.
Precious little is known of the 150,000 people who lived, loved, and died here nearly 2000 years ago, in the heart of Mexico, less than an hour ride from Mexico City. By the time the Aztecs happened upon it around 1300 AD, the city had already been abandoned for nearly 900 years. In awe of its grandeur, they named it Teotihuacan, “The Place Where Gods are Born”.
Even guidebooks tend to start with “Teotihuacan remains a mystery”. All we have are thoughtful guesses of historians, archeologists, and mystics. One thing is for certain: Teotihuacan was one of the most powerful cities of its time.
Avenue of the Dead
While “Avenue of the Dead” might seem morbid, the Aztec name actually translates to “Pathway of the Gods” or “Pathway of Those Who Are Gone.” We have no idea what the original inhabitants called it.
The impressive Avenue of the Dead is a 45-meter (148 feet) wide promenade stretching for 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) North to South, connecting the major pyramids and structures within the city.
The Secret Tunnel of The Feathered Serpent
We crossed a massive courtyard to a pyramid at the southernmost tip of the city. You’re not allowed to touch it, so we were content to just sit, our backs against the cool, stone steps opposite, soaking in the silence.
This wasn’t just any pyramid, mind you. This was the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, or Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent, named after the supernatural deity of the time. More than 200 bodies were buried underneath along with weapons and necklaces of human teeth, possibly victims of sacrifice.
The 260 Serpents on the façade sport round holes in their mouths. Turns out, they might have served as a calendar, with a place holder passed from one serpent’s mouth to another each day.
Now imagine discovering a secret tunnel under an ancient pyramid, leading to a hidden chamber sealed for 1800 years, that could hold the secrets of a lost civilization. That’s what happened to Sergio Gómez, an archaeologist who works at Teotihuacán.
In the fall of 2003, downpours pummeled Teotihuacán. Mud rivers flooded dig sites, the central courtyard buckled and gave in. A gaping sinkhole appeared by the Temple of the Plumed Serpent and Sergio Gomez decided to explore it.
His collogues lowered him in with a rope around his waist and a flashlight in his hand. What he found was a man-made tunnel, intentionally sealed with large boulders nearly 2,000 years ago. Whatever was inside, it was meant to stay hidden forever. To this day, Sergio and his crew are still excavating the 100-meter-long (330 ft) tunnel by hand, often with just toothbrushes as to preserve the thousands of artifacts that they’re recovering.
There is pyrite (fool’s gold) embedded into the walls of the tunnel. If someone walked in with a torch, the pyrite would shimmer. 40 feet (12 meters) underground, Gomez thinks, the designers tried to recreate the experience of a starry night.
They found beetle wings arranged in a box, jaguar bones, hundreds of mysterious spheres, intricate necklaces with strings still intact, beautiful statues, even liquid mercury that might have represented shimmering lakes in a small-scale replica of the landscape. Sergio believes the tunnel represents a map of the universe.
Hop into the rabbit hole with Smithsonian, Reuters, Wikipedia, Universes, and Sergio Gomez‘s video.
The Hoards
The hushed silence vanished as a tide of tourists rolled in, a stampede of shoes, bewildered questions and excited shouts in a dozen languages.
Tour guides competed for attention, their booming voices broadcasting facts and speculations. Vibrant scarves and plastic trinkets flooded your vision. Hawkers peddled their wares and the air was pierced by shrill blasts of whistles mimicking a wounded jaguar. It sent shivers down my spine the first 50 times I heard it, then it elicited just a weary eye-roll.
The Avenue of the Dead was very much alive, looking less like a path to the divine and more like a busy bazaar as the sun begun beating down.
Pyramid of the Sun
Next on the agenda was the Pyramid of the Sun. Dating back to 100 AD, its colossal base stretches nearly 750 feet (228 meters) wide on each side, measurements almost identical to the Great Pyramid of Giza. While only half as tall as its Egyptian counterpart, the Pyramid of the Sun is still a giant, towering over 65 meters (213 ft) into the sky.
We walked around the perimeter, reaching out to touch its sunbaked, rough lava rock walls. We were tempted to climb the staircase leading up to the summit, but ropes and signs forbade access. Only the local dogs were now enjoying the sprawling views of Teotihuacan from the top, where a temple used to stand. The Pyramid of the Sun has endured for nearly two millennia, its origins, purpose and builders still a mystery.
Pyramid of the Moon
We meandered toward the end of the Avenue of the Dead. The Pyramid of the Moon stood ahead, silhouetted against the hulking Cerro Gordo (“Fat Hill”).
Along the way, weaving through the city’s hidden nooks and crannies, we saw smaller structures that were fun to explore. We wove through narrow corridors between weathered temples, on trails likely used by ancient priests and pilgrims. Peeking into abandoned rooms, we found faded murals of underworld deities preserved for centuries.
I imagined the whispered prayers, forgotten rituals and lavish feasts that these walls must have witnessed. I wanted a time machine (or a psychedelic brew) to dissolve the veil separating me from the past.
The Museum Skeletons
The onsite museum was a treasure trove of mythical creatures, skeletons of sacrificed people, and beautifully restored artifacts.
Unlike the rushed itineraries of organized tours, our independent trip afforded us the luxury of breathing in the ancient city. We lingered with weathered temples, their stories etched in stone. Each intricate carving, each vibrant mural, can become a personal discovery if you slow down enough to truly see.
The Restaurant in a Cave
Restaurant La Gruta, out of gate #5, came highly recommended. Lush greenery lined the entrance and stone steps led down to a huge, dimly lit cavern. The murmur of voices mixed with the aroma of spices filled the cool air. Though much pricier than we anticipated, the food was fine and the experience unique.
Our waiter launched into an enthusiastic narrative about local legends and traditions, handing us small, lit candles. All three of us nodded along, hoping the other two were fluent in rapid-fire, accented English. But no luck. The man pointed to a smoky grotto at the end of the cave so we assumed we were to add our candles to the dozens of others already flickering on the rocks. And so we did, before emerging into the stark daylight, none the wiser.
Way Back
Victor, our handlebar-mustached Uber driver, offered a running commentary on the passing scenery. Pastel-colored houses clung to the hills, connected by cable cars high in the air. “There is a lot of poverty here,” he sighed, a stark contrast to the $30/pp meal we’ve just had and the swanky Hyatt Regency, our temporary home, with its polished guests.
We arrived at the hotel, shoes and pants covered in ancient dust, still grappling with the unanswered questions Teotihuacan had inspired.
The Magic
Were the pyramids built to appease gods? Were they feats of engineering showcasing the city’s advanced knowledge of astronomy? Were they energy generators as some theorists suggested? Or are mischievous aliens playing a cosmic joke on us?
As Matthew Robb, the curator of Mesoamerican art at San Francisco’s de Young Museum aptly stated, “This city wasn’t designed to answer our questions.”
This is what Teotihuacan might have looked like in its glory days. Rendition by Anxo Miján Maroño. Check out the whole collection at Artstation.
Perhaps the true magic lies not in the answers, but in the enduring mystery, the echo of a civilization whispering across millennia, inviting us to wonder, to feel, and to imagine the richness of lives lived on the very stones beneath our feet.
Teotihuacan, a small scale replica of the city
So there you have it, that was our trip to the mysterious Teotihuacan, a 2000-year-old city of enormous pyramids, otherworldly creatures and mysterious archeological finds. It was the third stop in our Mexican journey, right after we landed in Cabo without cash and got rattled by a Mexico City earthquake.
Costs and Practical Tidbits
- Morning Uber to Teotihuacan – MXN 935 pesos ($55), about 50 min ride. The site can also be reached by bus for much less
- Entry fee to see Teotihuacan pyramids – MXN 90/per person ($5.30)
- Official opening hours: 9am to 5pm, 365 days a year, but we got there at about 8:20am and were let in
- Teotihuacan Culture Museum is open 9am to 4:30pm every day and the Museum of Teotihuacan Murals is open 8am to 5pm, Tuesday through Sunday. The best time to visit Teotihuacan is early in the morning, around opening time
- La Gruta, the restaurant in a cave outside Gate #5 of Teotihuacan, was overpriced but unique
- Bring your downloaded or printed guidebook. At Teotihuacan entrance, a small guidebook costs 350 pesos (over $20) and a map 150 (over $8)
- We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Insurgentes a swanky, Category 3 Hyatt hotel. 12-15000 points a night, excellent location, great supermarket right across the street. Drinking water in a jug by the reception desk
