Tenochtitlan
Tenochtitlan,[lower-alpha 1] also known as Mexico-Tenochtitlan,[lower-alpha 2] was a large Mexican altepetl in what is now the historic center of Mexico City. The exact date of the founding of the city is unclear. The date 13 March 1325 was chosen in 1925 to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the city.[2] The city was built on an island in what was then Lake Texcoco in the Valley of Mexico. The city was the capital of the expanding Aztec Empire in the 15th century[3] until it was captured by the Spanish in 1521.
Mexico-Tenochtitlan | |||||||
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| 1325–1521 | |||||||
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.jpg) Tenochtitlan and Lake Texcoco in 1519 | |||||||
 First European map of Tenochtitlan, 1524 | |||||||
| Capital | Tenochtitlan 19°26′N 99°8′W | ||||||
| Common languages | Classical Nahuatl | ||||||
| Religion | Aztec religion | ||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||
| Historical era | Pre-Columbian | ||||||
• Foundation | 1325 | ||||||
• Formation of the Aztec Empire | 1428 | ||||||
| 1521 | |||||||
| Population | |||||||
• Estimate | 140,000+[1] | ||||||
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 Templo Mayor, main temple of the Mexica people | |
  Location of Tenochtitlan  Tenochtitlan (Mesoamerica) | |
| Alternative name | Mexico-Tenochtitlan |
|---|---|
| Location | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Region | Lake Texcoco, Valley of Mexico |
| Coordinates | 19°26′N 99°8′W |
| History | |
| Founded | Unclear date, declared 13 March 1325 |
| Abandoned | Conquered in 1521 |
| Periods | Late Postclassic |
| Cultures | Aztecs |
| Site notes | |
| Official name | Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iii, iv, v |
| Reference | 412 |
| Inscription | 1987 (11th Session) |
At its peak, it was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas. It subsequently became a cabecera of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Today, the ruins of Tenochtitlan are in the historic center of the Mexican capital. The World Heritage Site of Xochimilco contains what remains of the geography (water, boats, floating gardens) of the Mexica capital.
Tenochtitlan was one of two Mexica āltepētl (city-states or polities) on the island, the other being Tlatelolco. The city is located in modern-day Mexico City.