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Let's Go2Mexico - Articles Tula, the capital of the Toltec culture, was one of the most important settlings of ancient Mexico; its influence reached Central America, and into the north all the way to what is known as the south part of the United States. The archaeological site of Tula, open Tuesday to Sunday 9-5 pm, has am on-site Museum, the Museum Jorge R. Acosta exhibits pieces found at the excavations that started in 1940 to this days, in fact the Mexican newspaper “La Jornada” published a note informing about the upcoming night visits to Tula with a light and sound show that will start as soon as March, 2009.
It is worth to visit the remains of the temple “The Master of the House of the Dawn” (Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli), dedicated to “Quetzalcoatl” (his name means “feathered serpent” and is a Deity that some scholars relate to the Planet Venus that is the first star that shines at dusk and the first one that disappears at dawn). On top of this temple there are four sculptures shaped as Warriors, the columns are made of pieces of volcanic stone (basalt) and there size is almost 5 meters high, the equivalent to three middle height persons standing one on top of the other) They are dresses with warrior apparels, and it is very possible that in their origins were covered by a layer of “stucco” (white cover made of limestone and sand) and painted in bright colors. We have to keep in mind that the archaeological remains we visit today did not look like they do now as gray stones, on the opposite, they were colorful, painted in red, blue, yellow, white and black depending on the deities they were offered to-- like the sun, water, moon, war, fire.
Tula is located 88 km from “The windy Beauty”, term which people refer to Pachuca, the Capital of Hidalgo State, since every afternoon Pachuca is swept by strong winds. Its weather is semi-cool to warm, warmer than Mexico City. Pachuca was an important mining center, its economic peak occurred during XIX century, however its mining development started as early as 1555 with Bartolomé de Medina, some three hundred years later, in 1824, the first British mining companies arrived in the area, and most neoclassical buildings of Pachuca and Real del Monte, (another mining magical town, Sebastian del Oeste style,) date back to those days. In 1869 Benito Juarez created the state of Hidalgo and made Pachuca its capital, or head city. In Pachuca it is worth to visit the “Magnificent Clock” located at the top of a stone tower decorated with Carrara marble sculptures, the clock was built, as many other monuments in the rest of the country, as an icon to celebrate the first anniversary of Mexico’s Independence during the times of Porfirio Diaz The clock was inaugurated in September, 15, 1910. Its machinery is identical to the one of The Big Ben, in London, and it was made by the same company. It is a crime to leave Pachuca without tasting the delicious “pastes”, their name and origin date back to the English mining times, they are a derivation from “pasty” or “pastries” and are a Mexican version of “Empanadas” (Bread pieces stuffed with a salty or sweet filling), filled with potato, ground meat, or pineapple and apple, yummy. It is nice to visit Mexico and experience more than sun and beach, to learn about the history in the colonial cities that pose as an excellent cultural tourism offer, and also to experience the influence of the wide variety of people, places, flavors that make up the Mexican race and culture.Email to a friend Are you ready? Florelisa Hernández * Florelisa is an Art Restorer, writer, translator, and Certified Interpretive Guide by the NAI, (US). She offers her freelance services of writing, translating, public relations, and marketing consultant. You can reach her at pv@biokhronos.com.mx
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The great ceremonial center of the Toltec (the inhabitants of Tula) was founded IX after Christ and its peak occurred during X and XI after Christ.
It is also noteworthy the serpent wall, and the “Burnt Palace”, temple that was found with major damages due to arson. Also, there is the “Chac Mool” – a sculpture of the enigmatic semi-laying god that is also found in Central Mexico (Templo Mayor, in Mexico City and in Chichen Itza, Yucatan, among other places.
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