Aztec Architecture: Building the World of the Mexica

The Aztecs, or Mexica as they called themselves, were master builders; and Aztec architecture puts this on full display. From jaw-dropping pyramids to life-giving aqueducts, the Aztecs had serious chops. Though many Aztec architectural sites were destroyed by Spanish conquistadors in the wake of the Spanish-Aztec War, we still have ruins and textual evidence that can shed light on the nature of Aztec buildings. 

So, let’s explore some of their best creations!

Aztec Pyramids

Aztec architecture was dominated by pyramids. They were the public centers of both civic life and Aztec religious practices. It was on pyramids that Aztec priests practiced human sacrifice, giving over captured enemy combatants to the patron god of the Aztec Empire, Huitzilipochtli. But they were also centers of power that displayed the strength of the Aztec military, economy, and state.

To better understand just how important pyramids were to Aztec culture, let’s explore them more in-depth.

Architectural Style of Pyramids

To construct their pyramids, Aztec builders used three distinct styles: round pyramids, single stair pyramids, and twin stair pyramids. Notably, all three of these styles were built as terraced pyramids, which makes them look like each level was simply stacked on top of the one below it. But building these structures was a bit more complicated than that!

The least common type of Aztec pyramid, round pyramids were dedicated to one of the forms of Quetzalcoatl, the wind god Ehecatl. Since these pyramids were dedicated to the wind god, the body structure was, well, round, so that Ehecatl could easily flow through and around the temple. Round pyramids also had a staircase built into one side so that priests could access the temple on the top level of the construction.¹

Single and twin stair pyramids had largely the same architectural style and purpose. Each of these pyramids had four sides with a large staircase facing west, the direction where the sun descended into the underworld. These pyramids also contained five distinct levels. The first four levels were designed to hold the structure in place, while the top (fifth) level held a temple dedicated to a god.²

One of the only discernible differences between single and twin stair pyramids was, as the names imply, the number of staircases. A twin stair pyramid (or also referred to as a double pyramid) had two large (and I mean large) sets of stairs that climbed up the entire western face of the pyramid. This grand design was used for the most important pyramid in the empire, The Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan. The other feature that set these pyramid types apart was the number of temples at their peaks. A twin stair pyramid held two temples, while a single stair pyramid held one. While this was the most grand, it’s also a great example of a typical Aztec double pyramid.

Pyramid Temples

In the Aztec world, pyramids were typically topped by a temple. Unlike the famous pyramids of ancient Egypt which were used as tombs, the Aztecs built these giant structures and the temples that topped them to be used regularly. 

The temples served many purposes and were central to Aztec religion. Aztec priests would leave offerings to the gods and conduct human sacrifice in them. They also hosted centers for astronomical observation and research, as well as regular religious festivals for the whole town or city.³

Pyramid temples were typically dedicated to one of the gods of the Aztec pantheon. This shows in the name the Aztec used for them, “teocalli,” which translates to “god houses.”⁴ To which a god a temple was dedicated varied from community and community and most likely reflected the needs of the people who worshiped there.

The most famous pyramid temples were located in the capital Aztec city, Tenochtitlan. The Great Pyramid stood in the city’s main complex, now known as Templo Mayor. On top of the pyramid stood two temples: the left-hand temple dedicated to Tlaloc (the god of rain) and the right-hand temple dedicated to Huitzilipochtli (the god of war and the patron god of the Aztecs).⁵

Aztec Homes

Analyzing Aztec architecture can help us to uncover not the physical structures as well as the societal intricacies at work in Aztec culture. While the Aztec Empire had some very grand buildings, like pyramids and aqueducts, exploring Aztec houses provides a profound understanding of their social fabric.

As domestic structures reflected differences in class in Aztec society, it’s crucial to examine both the opulent residences of the nobility and the more modest dwellings of the commoners, since  

Palatial Dwellings of Aztec Nobility

Comprising just 5% of the Aztec population, the nobility spared no expense in erecting imposing residences, often spanning two floors and adorned with the finest art the Aztec Empire could afford. Funded by the extensive land holdings they oversaw, Aztec nobles constructed expansive estates, akin to the feudal system of medieval Europe.⁶

Whether situated in urban centers like Tenochtitlan or rural townships, noble residences were designed to balance grandeur with functionality. Split into public and private spaces, these palatial abodes included administrative chambers as well opulent living quarters, including meticulously landscaped gardens.⁷

Adobe Dwellings of Aztec Commoners

Contrastingly, the homes of common Aztecs were modest single-story structures measuring around 15 to 25 square meters. Constructed from adobe bricks and topped with thatched roofs, these dwellings lacked windows but featured hearths, which served both practical and spiritual purposes in the home.⁸

Externally, lime whitewashing facilitated temperature regulation, reflecting sunlight to keep the interior of the houses cool in the heat of the Mexican summer. Surrounding plots often hosted gardens that yielded flowers and vegetables, which allowed many Aztecs to supplement their diet with what they were able to purchase elsewhere.⁹

Aqueducts and Dams

While pyramids and palatial estates are sexy, the aqueducts and dams used to bring water to Tenochtitlan and create highly arable land for their empire were perhaps the most astonishing feasts of Aztec architecture and engineering. 

Built upon an island in a brackish area of Lake Texcoco in central Mexico, Tenochtitlan didn’t have a readily available source of potable water. In the early years of the settlement, people simply had drinking water brought in from other communities. But as the city’s population grew this became unsustainable. So, under the reign of Montezuma I, Aztec engineers designed and built elaborate aqueducts to bring water from the nearby mountains straight to their capital. This initial aqueduct was a behemoth, measuring three miles long and five feet wide.¹⁰

As the Aztecs got better at building aqueducts, they got even bigger. Eventually the aqueduct of Montezuma I would be replaced with one that had two channels for incoming water. This way, if one of the channels was blocked or needed repairs, Tenochtitlan could still get water.

Farther away from the Aztec capital, the state constructed dams and irrigation networks. These served two purposes: to protect Aztec cities (especially Tenochtitlan) from flooding and to create large swaths of farmable land to enhance agricultural productivity. Through the use of these impressive hydraulic structures, Aztec architecture helped to protect and feed the people who built it.¹¹

Building Techniques Used in Aztec Architecture

The Aztecs were master builders. Beginning the founding of Tenochtitlan around 1325, the Aztecs began building their own world from the ground up. When they arrived on the shores of Lake Texcoco, they began reclaiming the boggy land where they founded their capital city using platforms and wooden piles driven into the earth.¹² In this way, they built their city from the ground up.

As they grew in power and reach, the Aztecs would absorb influences from other Mesoamerican societies and incorporate them into their construction and architecture. One of the most important materials they used was tezontle. Found in the ancient city of Teotihuacan (which flourished about 1,000 years before the Aztecs), tezontle was made from volcanic rock now classified as scoriaceous basalt.¹³

Found in high quantities in central Mexico, the ready availability of tezontle as well as the anxiety precedent set by Teotihuacanm, whom the Aztecs revered, made this a great candidate for inclusion in Aztec architecture. Strong, light, and easy to cut, tezontle was used by Aztec builders and architects in both the foundations of large structures, like pyramids, as well as to fill out decorative aspects of a building.¹⁴

Apart from tezontle, Aztec builders used chisels, obsidian blades, and hard stones as their main tools. All of these tools had been in use in the region for millenia.¹⁵ Nothing shows the effectiveness of tools better than their staying power, and these certainly had staying power.

Sources on Aztec Architecture

1. Manuel Aguilar-Moreno, “Aztec Architecture – Part 1,” famsi.org 
2. Julia Flood, “Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec Temples,” mexicolore.co.uk
3. Ibid
4. “Aztec Pyramids,” aztecsandtenochtitlan.com
5. Flood, “Basic Aztec Facts: Aztec Temples,” mexicolore.co.uk
6. Michael E. Smith, The Aztecs (Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012)
7. Jacques Soustelle, The Daily Life of the Aztecs on the Eve of the Spanish Conquest (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1962), 124
8. Soustelle, The Daily Life of the Aztecs, 123
9. Smith, The Aztecs
10. Manuel Aguilar-Moreno, Handbooks to Life in the Aztec World (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 59
11. Aguilar-Moreno, “Aztec Architecture – Part 1,” famsi.org
12. Ibid
13. “Teotihuacan: Construction,” ancientengrtech.wisc.edu
14. Aguilar-Moreno, “Aztec Architecture – Part 1,” famsi.org and “Aztec Pyramids,” aztecsandtenochtitlan.com
15. Aguilar-Moreno, “Aztec Architecture – Part 1,” famsi.org