A collage of images from the visit to the archaeological site of Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, with the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon as major attractions.
Teotihuacan Mexico
Memories of Mexico City – Teotihuacan
Tag Archives: Teotihuacan
Pyramid of the Sun View from the Museum
Our final view of the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan, near Mexico City. It was taken from the backyard of the Beatriz de la Fuente Teotihuacán Murals Museum.
Pyramid of the Sun View from the Museum
Views of the Pyramid of the Sun
The name Pyramid of the Sun comes from the Aztecs, who visited the city of Teotihuacan centuries after it was abandoned; the name given to the pyramid by the Teotihuacanos is unknown.
The Mexicas gave the Pyramid of the Sun its name because they believed it was built to honor the sun. That leads to it sometimes being referred to as the Aztec Pyramid of the Sun. It is believed to have been built around 200 C.E., and its original purpose remains unknown.
Temple of the Sun Stonework
Rows of Stonework at Pyramid of the Sun
Grass Growth at Pyramid of the Sun
Looks Like a Pyramid
Steps on the Pyramid of the Sun
The Pyramid of the Sun has 248 steps on its west side. As of 2020, one can no longer climb the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan due to a prohibition by INAH (the National Institute of Anthropology and History) to preserve the site and ensure visitor safety, owing to the dangerous and steep steps.
Steps on the Pyramid of the Sun
Steps on the side of Pyramid of the Sun
Forbidden Steps on the Pyramid of the Sun
Pyramid of the Sun
The largest pyramid in the Western Hemisphere and the third largest in the world, the imposing Pyramid of the Sun towers 66 meters tall, a monumental site that dwarfs even the Pyramid of the Moon. Built around 100 CE from red volcanic rock, when Teotihuacan was reaching its zenith, the base measures 220 by 230 meters.
On the pyramid’s west side, there are 248 steps leading to the top of the structure, although visitors can no longer climb it. It is thought that there was once a temple at the summit – the Aztecs later used it for rituals and sacrifices.
Pyramid of the Sun
Avenue of the Dead
The Avenue of the Dead, 1.5 miles long, is the grand, 40-meter-wide main causeway of the ancient city of Teotihuacan in Mexico, connecting its major monuments, such as the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon.
Walking Towards the Pyramid of the Moon
Avenue of the Dead
Temple of the Sun from the Back
Remaining Temples
There are ruins of temples at each end of the 1.5-mile-long Avenue of the Dead, at Teotichuán, Even more astonishing, the millions of tons of stone used to create this vast city would have been moved and shaped by hand.
Temple Remains in Foreground
Remaining Temple
Puma Mural
On the way from the Pyramid of the Moon to the Pyramid of the Sun, there is a mural of the puma. It is the largest one found at Teotihuacan. The sign below provides a clear description.
Puma Mural
Puma Mural Sign
Adding Color
Vendors add color to the Pyramid of the Moon at the Teotihuacán archaeological complex near Mexico City by offering local items for sale.
Climbing Up and Coming Down
Authorities closed the Pyramid of the Moon to climbers in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and kept it closed while INAH completed work to conserve the structure. Climbing the pyramid was permitted on May 19, 2025, following conservation and improvement work aimed at ensuring visitor safety.
Access is only permitted to the top of the first section, which consists of five platforms and 47 steps. The upper levels remain closed to preserve the physical integrity of the monument.
Well-designed Stairs at the Pyramid
Visitors are once again allowed to climb the well-designed stairs of the Pyramid of the Moon at the Teotihuacán archaeological complex near Mexico City after five years.
Walking to the Pyramid of the Moon
The Pyramid of the Moon is the second-largest pyramid in Teotihuacan, after the Pyramid of the Sun, and is located near Mexico City. It is found in the western part of the ancient city of Teotihuacan and mimics the contours of the mountain Cerro Gordo, just north of the site.
Here are tourists walking towards the pyramid to climb up the stairs.
Pyramid of the Moon
The Pyramid of the Moon (Pirámide de la Luna) is a prominent structure within the ancient city of Teotihuacan, located just outside Mexico City. This impressive pyramid was a significant ritualistic temple, likely used for worshiping a Great Goddess associated with fertility and creation.
Temple of the Moon
What is the Pyramid of the Moon
Watching Temple of the Moon
Real Wood Ceiling
While restoring the rooms at the palace at Teotihuacan near Mexico City, they discovered beams of real wood in the ceilings
Real Wood Ceiling
Courtyard of the Pillars
The central part, or Patio de los Pilares (Courtyard of the Pillars), of the Quetzalpapálotl Palace, features large, finely carved columns at Teotihuacan, northeast of Mexico City.
Patio of the Pillars
Painted Designs on Pillars
Designs in Pillars
Central Courtyard Explanation
Vertical Stone Art
Amidst the rooms of buildings at Teotihuacan, Mexico City, there are stone carvings of vertical art designs
Vertical Stone Design
Vertical Stone Art
Green Bird Procession Mural
Among the four polychrome boards at Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, the most prominent mural features green and white feathered birds standing in procession. Likely a depiction of a parrot or macaw with its open, curved beak, it sits above a bent band.
Green Bird Mural
Green Bird Mural Sign
Restoring Murals at Teotihuacan
The Tetitla compound, located in the Teotihuacan Archaeological Zone outside Mexico City, is renowned for its magnificent pre-Spanish murals, dating back to between 600 and 700 A.D. Restorers from the National Institute of Anthropology and History have undertaken this work.
The conservation work has thus far focused on 8 of the 16 murals, which are in particularly damaged condition from the constant battering of sun, wind, dust, moisture, and all-around hard living.
Restoring Murals
Abstract Mural
Two Characters on a Mural
Two characters on a mural below a stone wall at Teotihuacán, a powerful, influential, and massive pre-Columbian city in central Mexico, near modern-day Mexico City, which was the largest city in the Americas at its peak around 500 CE.
Two Murals
Murals in the Corner
There are three types of Teotihuacan murals: religious, nature, and culture. They depicted daily life and spiritual activities, especially regarding the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan, who served as the patron of the city. They illustrated the civilization’s emphasis and respect for nature and animals.
Two restored murals in the corner at Teotihuacan.
Murals in the Corner