Milta

candid Mexico tips

 

Why Mitla
is special

Mitla (meet'-lah) is famous for the arresting 3-D geometric designs on its building walls.

Mitla
tips & insights

Construction

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).

Religious center

Ancient Mitla was a major religious center. Sometimes the high priest was more powerful than the king.

Friezes

The design of each frieze panel is different from its neighbor's (see photo). This makes the overall collection exceedingly eye-catching.

Ruins

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.

House of Pezelao

It has several must-see features including its exterior friezes, the Hall of Columns, and the friezes lining the walls of inside spaces.

Column of Life

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.

Colonial church

The site also has a colonial church that the Spanish built over an ancient temple.

Encroaching town

The archaeological site is engulfed by a town of the same name. Homes closely border the archaeological site.

Getting there

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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