What type of buildings did the aztecs build

Likewise, what buildings did the Mayans build? The Maya built pyramids , temples, palaces, walls, residences and more. They often decorated their buildings with intricate stone carvings, stucco statues, and paint. The city-state of Tenochtitlan was the capital of the Aztec Empire and thus it was here that the Aztecs built their most important buildings.

This included various small and large temples, prostis, the ball game court, the eagle's house, and other Aztec buildings. The temples were used for worship, prayers, and offering of human sacrifices to gods.

These human sacrifices were a common feature of the Aztec religious ceremonies. A variety of construction material was used for Aztec temples with volcanic stone being used to provide a solid base.

The Aztec were master builders and constructed many different types of structures , such as pyramids, ball courts, plazas, temples, and homes.

Who came first Aztecs or Mayans? In short, the Maya came first, and settled in modern-day Mexico. Next came the Olmecs, who also settled Mexico. They didn't build any major cities, but they were widespread and prosperous.

They were followed by the Inca in modern-day Peru, and finally the Aztecs, also in modern-day Mexico. This included Aztec temples, palaces, as well as other buildings.

The city-state of Tenochtitlan was the capital of the Aztec Empire and thus it was here that the Aztecs built their most important buildings. Among these Aztec buildings, the pyramids were the most important since they also had religious significance. One of the most important Aztec buildings was the palace of the emperor which itself was nothing short of an architectural wonder. Aztec Pyramid of Santa Cecilia Acatitlan — The most important Aztec buildings were of course their temples and places of worship.

The most important Aztec buildings were of course their temples and places of worship. There were small temples but the larger ones were constructed atop the Aztec pyramids. One of the most important of these temples was Templo Mayor which had a height of 60 meters and was completed in It had two temples dedicated to gods Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc respectively.

The temple was accompanied with various other smaller temples and public buildings. The Aztecs had various places for entertainment and socialising. For instance, they had their ball room court called Tlachtli. In this sense, the Aztecs are considered as the successors of the first Toltecs.

In fact, the Aztecs admired the Toltecs for many different aspects, including: art, architecture, crafts and culture. For some historians, the Aztec architecture at the present time has been questioned if the Aztec town was or not descendant of the previous Toltec society, but this suggestion has also been made about other previous Mesoamerican civilizations, including that of Teotihuacan.

In spite of it, the Toltec language was the Nahuatl, the same as the Aztec. Also, the Nahuatl word for Toltec, in Aztec society, came to mean "artisan" in reference to their view that the Toltecs were the pinnacle of Aztec culture, art and design in Mesoamerica.

The architecture of the Aztec Empire is known for many of its characteristics, including the incredible architectural styles that the Aztec people used in the construction of their buildings and cities. Aztec architecture and art followed similar principles to those of previous Mesoamerican civilizations, including the use of a grid system in the construction of cities and the construction of large pyramid-shaped temples.

The pyramid, for example, was a central component of Aztec construction and held a prominent place in its own city-state altepetl in Tenochtitlan. The name Templo Mayor in Aztec architecture is the title given to the main temple in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Aztec temples were called Teocali, houses of the gods by the Mexicas of the empire. Aztec priests went to these temples to worship and pray, and to make offerings to the gods to keep them strong and in balance.

Identifying the Aztec temples was a difficult job. It has been easy to assume that large monumental structures like pyramids are palaces or temples. But, we have a good understanding of what happened in the religious areas and how many of the buildings looked hundreds of years ago. Often an entire area of a city would be dedicated to religious activities. Some monuments were made for specific gods, others were built for specific celebrations.

The buildings that are associated with the Aztec religion are the great pyramids. These were stable four-sided structures that could withstand earthquakes, common in the area. Built on a series of islets, the city plan was based on a symmetrical layout that was divided into four city sections, known as campans.

Each campan was divided into 20 districts calpullis , and each district was crossed by streets. The city was interlaced with canals used for transportation. At the heart of the city was the sacred precinct, home to about 45 public buildings, temples, and schools.

Houses were made of wood and loam, and roofs were made of reed; pyramids, temples, and palaces were generally made of stone. The city center was also home to the ceremonial center, built inside of a square meter walled square.

Surrounding the city and floating on the shallow flats of Lake Texcoco were enormous chinampas—long raised plant beds set upon the shallow lake bottom. Two double aqueducts, each more than 2. The Great Temple measured approximately ft by ft at its base, dominating the Sacred Precinct.

Construction of the first temple began sometime after , and it was rebuilt six times. Mexican pyramids were typically expanded by building over prior ones, using the bulk of the former as a base for the latter, as later rulers sought to expand the temple to reflect the growing greatness of the city of Tenochtitlan.

The fourth temple was constructed between and during the reigns of Moctezuma I and Axayacatl. This stage is considered to have the richest of the architectural decorations, as well as sculptures.

Its great platform was decorated with serpents and braziers, some of which are in the form of monkeys and some in the form of Tlaloc. At this time, the stairway to the shrine of Tlaloc was defined by a pair of undulating serpents, and in the middle of this shrine was a small altar defined by a pair of sculpted frogs. The circular monolith of Coyolxauhqui also dates from this time. Templo Mayor : Scale model of the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan, showing the various stages as it was enlarged over time.

Very little of this layer remains because of the destruction the Spaniards wrought when they conquered the city: only a platform to the north and a section of paving in the courtyard on the south side can still be seen. The pyramid was composed of four sloped terraces with a passage between each level, topped by a great platform that measured approximately by feet.

It had two stairways to access the two shrines on the top platform. The two temples were approximately feet in height, and each had large braziers where the sacred fires continuously burned.

The entrance of each temple had statues of robust and seated men, which supported the standard-bearers and banners of handmade bark paper. Each stairway was defined by balustrades flanking the stairs terminating in menacing serpent heads at the base; these stairways were used only by the priests and sacrificial victims. The entire building was originally covered with stucco and polychrome paint. The deities were housed inside the temple, shielded from the outside by curtains.

The idol of Huitzilopochtli was modeled from amaranth seeds held together with honey and human blood. Inside were bags containing jade, bones, and amulets to give life to the god. This figure was constructed annually, and it was richly dressed and fitted with a mask of gold for his festival held during the Aztec month of Panquetzaliztli. At the end of the festival, the image was broken apart and shared among the populace to be eaten. Ruins of Templo Mayor : While the location of the ruins of Templo Mayor was rediscovered in the early 20th century, major excavations did not take place until to Outside of the city center was the palace of Moctezuma with rooms, each one with its own bath, which was used by the lords and ambassadors of allies and conquered people.

The palace also had two houses or zoos, one for birds of prey and another for other birds, reptiles, and mammals.