1997
Yucatán Peninsula
Chichén Itzá: El Castillo
El Castillo, or Pyramid of Kukulcán (Quetzalcóatl),
is 25 meters tall and was originally built before 800 AD by the Mayans.
In the late 10th
century the Toltecs
invaded and fused their culture with the Mayans. The pyramid is actually
the Mayan
calendar: each of its nine levels
is divided in two by a staircase, making 18 separate terraces which commemorate
the 18 20-day months of the Vague Year. The four stairways
have 91 steps each; add the top platform and the total is 365. On each
façade are 52 flat panels symbolizing the 52 years in the Calendar Round.
Inside El Castillo is a brilliant red jaguar throne with inlaid eyes and spots of jade, and a Toltec chac-mool figure.
Chichén Itzá: Templo de los Guerreros
The Temple of Warriors.
Tulum: El Castillo
Tulum (City of Dawn, or City of Renewal) was settled in the early Postclassic period (900-1200).
1998
Guadalajara
Guadalajara Cathedral
Begun in 1558 and consecrated in 1618. The exterior
decorations are in Churrigueresque,
Baroque,
Neoclassical
and other styles. The towers date from 1848; the originals having been
destroyed in an earthquake.
Instituto Cultural de Cabañas
This huge Neoclassical structure was built between 1805 and
1810 by Spanish
architect Manuel
Tolsá. It served mainly as an orphanage until 1980.
Ceiling Murals
Between 1936 and 1939, José Clemente Orozco painted murals in the main chapel.
Plaza Tapatía
Zacatecas
Zacatecas Cathedral
Built chiefly between 1729 and 1752, just before Baroque
edged into its Churrigueresque
phase, the entire cathedral's entire pink stone façade is decorated with
elaborate carvings.
Museo Rafael Coronel
The museum contains a collection of over 2000 masks in
addition to other Mexican folk art collected
by the Zacatecan artist Rafael Coronel, brother of Pedro Coronel and son-in-law
of Diego
Rivera.
Folk Dancers
Guanajuato and Environs
View of the City from Monumento al Pípila
In the right foreground is Iglesia de San Diego, in the center is the Basílica, with the University behind.
Iglesia de San Diego
Teatro Juárez
Built between 1873 and 1903, the theater was inaugurated by the dictator Porfirio Díaz.
Templo La Valenciana
Also called Iglesia San Cayetano, the church was built
between 1765 and 1788. For 250 years,
La Valenciana mine produced 20 percent of the world's silver. One legend
says that Conde de Rul,
a silver baron, tried to atone for exploiting the miners by building the
ultimate in Churrigueresque
churches.
San Miguel de Allende
The Parroquia
The soaring pinnacles of the Parroquia were designed by an
untutored local Indian, Zeferino
Gutiérrez,
in the late 19th century. He reputedly instructed the builders by
scratching plans in the sand with
a stick. Most of the rest of the church dates from the late 17th century.
1999
Oaxaca City and Environs
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
Built mainly between 1570 and 1608 for the city's Dominican monastery, the church has undergone an extensive restoration.
Detail from the highly decorated church ceiling.
Blind Street Musician
Monte Albán
The ancient Zapotec
capital of Monte Albán (White Mountain) was first occupied in 500 BC. The
city reached its peak from about 300 to 700 AD when the population reached
25,000.
Mitla: Patio de Mosaicos
Mitla was inhabited by the Mixtec, followed by Zapotec and finally Aztec peoples.