The Templo Mayor or Great Temple (called Hueteocalli by the Aztecs) dominated the central sacred precinct of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. Topped by twin temples dedicated to the war god Huitzilopochtli and the rain god Tlaloc it was a focal point of the Aztec religion and very centre of the Aztec world. It was also the scene of state occasions such as coronations and the place of countless human sacrifices where the blood of the victims was thought to feed and appease the two great gods to whom it was dedicated.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 1345 - 1521The Aztec civilization flourishes in Mesoamerica.
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1345Traditional date for the founding of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan on Lake Texcoco.
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c. 1473The Coyolxauhqui Stone is carved depicting the Aztec goddess Coyolxauhqui, dismembered by the god Huitzilopochtli.
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1487The Templo Mayor is completed at Tenochtitlan and inaugurated with the sacrifice of 20,000 captives.
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13 Aug 1521The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan falls into the hands of Spanish forces led by Hernán Cortés.
