Architecture & Religion

The Aztecs built huge stone pyramids that were used for religion, ceremonies, and sacrifices. These pyramids were not tombs like the ones in Egypt. Instead, they were temples with staircases leading to the top, where priests performed rituals.

Two of the most famous pyramids in central Mexico were the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. These pyramids were enormous. The Pyramid of the Sun is over 200 feet tall and is one of the largest pyramids in the world. Thousands of people could stand on its steps. The Pyramid of the Moon was slightly smaller but still massive and very important.

The Aztecs believed these pyramids were holy mountains that connected the earth to the gods. At the top of the pyramids were temples where priests prayed to the Sun and other gods. The Sun was especially important because the Aztecs believed it needed human blood to keep moving across the sky.

Because of this belief, human sacrifice was a central part of Aztec religion. Captured warriors were brought to the top of the pyramids during ceremonies. Priests cut out the person’s heart as an offering to the gods, especially the Sun God, and the body was then pushed down the long stone steps of the pyramid. To the Aztecs, this was not seen as murder, but as a holy act that helped keep the Sun alive and prevent the world from falling into darkness and destruction.

The Aztecs also helped build and use the Great Pyramid of Cholula, which is the largest pyramid in the world by volume. It is almost twice the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Today, it looks like a hill with a church on top, but inside it is a massive pyramid.

These massive pyramids showed the Aztecs’ building skills, religious beliefs, and power. Even today, they remind us how important religion was in Aztec life.