Description
Engulfed in the urban sprawl of present-day Cuernavaca, and originally inhabited possibly by Tlahuicas, when the Mexica dominated the region they built new palaces, temples and houses. The principal pyramid survives, surmounted by two temples, one dedicated to Tlaloc and the other to Huitzilopochtli.
Historical overview
The first inhabitants of this place were the so-called Tlahuica, who had settled in the western part of Morelos by 1200 AD. This complex of buildings dedicated to the cult of the gods was arranged around a great plaza. Rising up from the plinths and platforms were temples and other important constructions. We now know that the layout of these structures was different in an earlier occupation, before the great plaza existed.
The architecture of Teopanzolco is closely linked to the style of Mexica buildings. The layout and nature of the main constructions are also very similar to those found in the sacred area of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. Moreover, the gods worshipped here were the same as those of the Mexica, such as Huitzilopochtli, Tlaloc, Tezcatlipoca and Ehecatl.
Teopanzolco lost its importance with the growth in political and religious power of the former Cuauhnahuac, now the city of Cuernavaca. In 1427, these lands came under the dominion of the Mexica of the Triple Alliance and its inhabitants were forced to pay tribute, which mostly consisted of large quantities of cotton blankets.
The large base of Teopanzolco, with its two temples on top, is the only example of Postclassic architecture of this kind preserved in Morelos.