Teotihuacan Pyramids by Xavier Donat

<b><a href="http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/onblack.php?id=301683841&amp;size=large" rel="nofollow">Large Version (recommended)</a></b> | <a href="http://www.flickriver.com/photos/xav" rel="nofollow">Browse on Black</a> | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xav/show/">Slideshow</a> <b>Teotihuacan site in central Mexico</b> was, in ancient times, one of the largest cities in the Americas. Located about 25 mi northeast of present-day Mexico City, Teotihuacan reached the peak of its prosperity and influence around ad 500 or ad 600. During this period, the city covered an area of 8 sq mi and had at least 125,000 inhabitants and perhaps upto as high as 200,000. The city of Teotihuacan was founded around 200 BC and developed into an important city-state in the 1st century ad. It had two great stone pyramids, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon (from where this photo were taken). With an original height around 246 ft, the Pyramid of the Sun was one of the largest structures ever built by Native Americans. Teotihuacan was organized around a central thoroughfare, known as the Avenue of the Dead that we see on this picture. It is flanked by temples and other structures. In the center of the city stood the Ciudadela (the Citadel), a massive rectangular enclosure that contained a large plaza and served as the city’s administrative center. It is not known what caused the decline of Teotihuacan civilization beginning around ad 650. Drought, crop failure, and invasion may have all played a part. A very interesting visit.