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Unesco: Mexico: Sian Ka'an
In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means 'Origin of the Sky'. Located on the east coast of the Yucatan peninsula, this biosphere reserve contains tropical forests, mangroves and marshes, as...
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Unesco: Mexico: Historic Centre of Morelia
Built in the 16th century, Morelia is an outstanding example of urban planning which combines the ideas of the Spanish Renaissance with the Mesoamerican experience. Well-adapted to the slopes of the hill site, its streets still follow...
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Unesco: Mexico: Pre Hispanic Town of Uxmal
The Mayan town of Uxmal, in Yucatan, was founded c. A.D. 700 and had some 25,000 inhabitants. The layout of the buildings, which date from between 700 and 1000, reveals a knowledge of astronomy. The Pyramid of the Soothsayer, as the...
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Unesco: Mexico: El Tajin, Pre Hispanic City
Located in the state of Veracruz, El Tajin was at its height from the early 9th to the early 13th century. It became the most important centre in north-east Mesoamerica after the fall of the Teotihuacan Empire. Its cultural influence...
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Unesco: Mexico: Historic Centre of Zacatecas
Founded in 1546 after the discovery of a rich silver lode, Zacatecas reached the height of its prosperity in the 16th and 17th centuries. Built on the steep slopes of a narrow valley, the town has breathtaking views and there are many...
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Unesco: Mexico: Hospicio Cabanas, Guadalajara
The Hospicio Cabanas was built at the beginning of the 19th century to provide care and shelter for the disadvantaged - orphans, old people, the handicapped and chronic invalids. This remarkable complex, which incorporates several...
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Unesco: Mexico: Pre Hispanic City of Teotihuacan
The holy city of Teotihuacan ('the place where the gods were created') is situated some 50 km north-east of Mexico City. Built between the 1st and 7th centuries A.D., it is characterized by the vast size of its monuments - in particular,...
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Unesco: Mexico: Pre Hispanic City of Chichen Itza
This sacred site was one of the greatest Mayan centres of the Yucatan peninsula. Throughout its nearly 1,000-year history, different peoples have left their mark on the city. The Maya and Toltec vision of the world and the universe is...
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Unesco: Mexico: Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro
The old colonial town of Queretaro is unusual in having retained the geometric street plan of the Spanish conquerors side by side with the twisting alleys of the Indian quarters. The Otomi, the Tarasco, the Chichimeca and the Spanish...
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Unesco: Mexico: Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco
Xochicalco is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a fortified political, religious and commercial centre from the troubled period of 650-900 that followed the break-up of the great Mesoamerican states such as Teotihuacan, Monte...
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Unesco: Mexico: Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco
Built in the 16th century by the Spanish on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the old Aztec capital, Mexico City is now one of the world's largest and most densely populated cities. It has five Aztec temples, the ruins of which have been...
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Unesco: Mexico: Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines
Founded by the Spanish in the early 16th century, Guanajuato became the world's leading silver-extraction centre in the 18th century. This past can be seen in its 'subterranean streets' and the 'Boca del Inferno', a mineshaft that...
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Unesco: Mexico: Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Queretaro
The five Franciscan missions of Sierra Gorda were built during the last phase of the conversion to Christianity of the interior of Mexico in the mid-18th century and became an important reference for the continuation of the...
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Unesco: Mexico: San Miguel and Sanctuary of Jesus Nazareno De Atotonilco
The fortified town, first established in the 16th century to protect the Royal Route inland, reached its apogee in the 18th century when many of its outstanding religious and civic buildings were built in the style of the Mexican...