How did the Aztecs build their capital city of Tenochtitlan?

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Aztec manuscript illustration showing figures in elaborate costumes dancing in a circle, with two larger deities, Quetzalcoatl and Xolotl, at the center, from Codex Borbonicus. — Aztec Aztec round dance for Quetzalcóatl and Xolotl (a dog-headed god who is Quetzalcóatl's companion), detail from a facsimile Codex Borbonicus (folio 26), c. 1520; original in the Chamber of Deputies, Paris, France.

The Aztecs built their capital city, Tenochtitlan, on islands in Lake Texcoco, which is located in modern-day Mexico City. To expand their city, they created artificial islands known as chinampas. These were narrow, rectangular plots of land built up from layers of vegetation, mud, and dirt, which were highly fertile and used for agriculture.12

Tenochtitlan grew to cover more than five square miles and was connected to the mainland by causeways. By 1519, the city's population was estimated to be around 400,000 people, making it the largest urban center in Mesoamerican history. The city was destroyed by Spanish conquistadors in 1521.1