Templo de Quetzalcóatl

Temple Pyramid in Hidalgo State, Mexico. Sacred to the Feathered Serpent God, known as Quetzalcoatl by Nahuatl speakers in the later Post Classical era, this temple is the heart of the Ciudadela, a rectangular plaza surrounded by low temple platforms. The Ciudadela [Citadel] was built at a later date than the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon to the northeast. It is sited on the "Street of the Dead" and a the major cross street, and is the center of the quartered ancient city, ca. 300 AD. The large plazas around these structures are thought to have been a major marketplace. However, the structures surrounding the Temple of the Feathered Serpent may have well been constructed to shield ceremonies from the city just outside the Ciudadela boundaries. The inner plaza is still very large, and could have accommodated thousands of spectators and participants. The temple itself was created in at least two stages, as a larger temple (dating to ~100 to 200 AD) has had an additional structure built over on its west side (~300AD). The remains of red frescoes can be seen at the base of the pyramid. A facade of tiers of cut and originally painted stone around the sides of the temple are of feathered serpents, serpents and conch shells. The temple shows some of the earliest representations of the Feathered Serpent, which appears throughout Mesoamerica in different cultures and eras. (There are no representations of the feathered serpent as anthropomorphic, as the much later Aztecs sometimes depicted the god.) In the 1980's archaeologists found the remains of 120 people within the temple foundations, apparently placed there as sacrificial offerings at the start of construction.

Awesome site. The other pyramids at Teotihuacan don’t have this level of ornamentation. You can’t currently get up close to the pyramid because of the COVID pandemic, but there is a reproduction in the Museum of Anthropology that gives you an idea of what it is like to do so.

Going to Teotihuacan was the coolest experience of my life!! Quetzalcoatl’s Pyramid, or the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent is the first complex you see straight ahead when you come out of the visitors center. It’s easy to run straight to the Pyramid of the Sun and over look this smaller temple but it is so worth the climb, but you have to climb! The detailed sculptures of the gods are done on the INSIDE of the first set of stairs, so from across the field the pyramid looks plane, but the detail is in an amphitheater type pyramid INSIDE. So climb up and over to get the full effect or you’ll completely miss it!!!

Great place and not too far from Mexico City center. I do recommend visiting with a guide who can talk about the culture and the civilization that lived there. Also, Saturday morning are great for visiting. During the afternoon it gets crowded and sucks to wait to climb the places. The pyramid of the moon has a really cool sight, even if its smaller. Remember to apply sunscreen! It's cold in the morning but it's always sunny. There are many people selling cheap stuff there. The objects are mostly from China... But if you just want to get something cheap, might do the trick.

Tear them down to see what's inside.