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Tenochtitlán
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Illustration of Aztec warriors, wearing traditional armor and shields, defending the temple of Tenochtitlan with drums, weapons, and banners, at the base and top of a stepped pyramid. Historical illustration showing Spanish conquistadors overseeing Indigenous laborers constructing buildings and carrying materials amid the ruins of Tenochtitlan, later Mexico City. Map of Mexico and surrounding regions showing the location of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan in central Mexico. Neighboring countries including the United States, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras are labeled, along with major bodies of water such as the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. An inset globe highlights the region's position within North America. The fall of Tenochtitlán Great City of Tenochtitlán Mural of Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital
Examine the history of Mexico City, from the Aztecs to the conquistadores
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Illustration of Aztec warriors, wearing traditional armor and shields, defending the temple of Tenochtitlan with drums, weapons, and banners, at the base and top of a stepped pyramid.
temple of Tenochtitlán Aztec warriors defending the temple of Tenochtitlán.

Tenochtitlán

ancient city, Mexico
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Tenochtitlán, ancient capital of the Aztec empire. Located at the site of modern Mexico City, it was founded c. 1325 in the marshes of Lake Texcoco. It formed a confederacy with Texcoco and Tlacopán and was the Aztec capital by the late 15th century. Originally located on two small islands in Lake Texcoco, it gradually spread through the construction of artificial islands to cover more than 5 square miles (13 square km). It was connected...

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