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Why Mitla
is special
Mitla (meet'-lah) is famous for the arresting 3-D geometric designs on its
building walls.
Tips & insights
on Mitla in Mexico
 The
design of each frieze panel is different from its neighbor's (see photo). This makes
the overall collection exceedingly eye-catching.
The
Mitla ruins we see today date back to 200 AD and were constructed by the Zapotec civilization (though their successors, the Mixtecs, added some touches).
There
are five major groups of ruins. Three are essentially rubble. Of the two
remaining, the Columns Group is the best preserved and the most visually
interesting. The House of Pezelao is its star attraction and my personal
favorite.
That
building has several must-see features including its exterior friezes, the Hall
of Columns, and the friezes lining the walls of inside spaces.
Mitla
is renowned for its Column of Life. According to myth, you will learn how many
years you have left by the distance your hands can reach around this large
monolith.
The
site
also has a colonial church that the Spanish built over an ancient temple.
Ancient
Mitla was a major religious center. Sometimes the high priest was more powerful
than the king.
The
archaeological site is engulfed by a town of the same name. Homes closely border
the archaeological site.
Most
visitors reach Mitla from the major city of Oaxaca, one-hour by car away. On the
road you pass the very broad Tule Tree. It's reputed to be 2,000 to 3,000 years
old. If so, it's older than the Mitla ruins.
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