Discover the Magnificent Tenochtitlan: 13 Amazing Fun Facts You Never Knew

1. The OG Aquatic City

Before there was Venice, there was the OG aquatic city, where buildings floated like it was no big deal, and canal surfing was the preferred mode of transport: Tenochtitlan was brilliantly constructed on two islands in Lake Texcoco, using canals and causeways for navigation, trade, and cleverly flood-resistant drainage systems – all supported by buoyant foundations made of reeds and logs.
Source => nationalgeographic.org

2. DIY Floating Gardens

Before the days of Bob the Builder, the Aztecs had their own DIY project that'd make even the Property Brothers jealous: Behold the Chinampas, or 'floating gardens' of Tenochtitlan! Constructing 30,000 acres of fertile plots atop unproductive marshland, the Aztec's agricultural ingenuity turned waterlogged nightmares into bountiful in-lake real estate. With simple tools and some serious elbow grease, they built rectangular plots, filled them with soil and vegetation, and planted willows in a fashionable yet functional statement to keep everything in place. Thus, that Aztec green thumb not only provided multiple harvests a year but also supported Tenochtitlan's ever-growing population.
Source => blurredbylines.com

Unlock the secret behind your chocolate cravings 🍫! Discover how the Aztecs considered it a divine gift, used cocoa beans as currency, and enjoyed chocolate in various forms. Find out more about their chocolate-filled legacy.

=> Fun Facts about The-Aztecs

3. Original Floating Farmers

Who needs solid ground when you can have floating farms instead? The Aztecs of Tenochtitlan were basically the original floating farmers: they ingeniously created chinampas, a system of small, fertile, arable plots in shallow lake beds, layered with mud and decaying vegetation, all surrounded by canals for easy transport and irrigation. The perfect blend of sustainability and agriculture, all without even needing a plot of land!
Source => thearchaeologist.org

4. The Chocolate King

Here's a scenario that'll give Willy Wonka an existential crisis: The Aztec ruler was a true chocolatier-extraordinaire, sitting on a mountain of cocoa beans that would make golden tickets seem like chump change. The ultimate sweet reveal: Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin, aka "The Chocolate King," boasted an unbelievable stash of close to a billion cacao beans, marking him as one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world.
Source => legacychocolates.com

5. Ritualistic Ball Game

When the Aztecs played ball, it wasn't quite "all fun and games": ullamaliztli, the ancient ball game, carried a ritual significance where it symbolized the cosmic battle between day and night, and its players possibly faced sacrifice upon the final result.
Source => aztec-history.com

6. City of Liquid Dreams

Forget gondola rides in the "City of Love", Tenochtitlan was the real "City of Liquid Dreams": This Aztec metropolis boasted a network of canals and islands that put Venice to shame, using its waterways for transportation, fishing, and super-sneaky defense strategies, like drawbridges and surprise floods to fend off invaders.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Prime-Time Deer Shopping

If the streets of Tenochtitlan could speak, they'd surely boast of their prime-time deer shopping and the chicest bean boutiques in town: The thriving ancient Aztec city stood as a trade powerhouse, bringing in diverse goods like furniture, live deer, and precious stones such as jade and turquoise from a vast network of trade connections and vassal states.
Source => archaeology.org

8. Aztec Highways and Canoes

Who needs Venice when you're an Aztec? Paddle through this, amigos: Tenochtitlan's transportation system didn't just rely on watery canals and shaking acallis—no, sir! They had their very own "highways," called causeways, connecting the islands and districts of the city, roomy enough for folks to stroll around and adorned with foot symbols, just so you knew they meant business for amblers. And those canoes? Well, that's mostly for the heavy lifting!
Source => mexicolore.co.uk

9. Mother of All Markets

Before Etsy and Amazon, there was the mother of all markets, leaving shopaholics in awe with its Aztec chic: Tenochtitlan's market system boasted an impressive 60,000 traders daily, with distinct squares and streets catering to everything from herbs and game to cloth and dyes, even offering the crème de la crème of beverages—Aztec chocolate. Predating European trade centers, this ancient marketplace showcased the Aztecs' advanced commercial prowess.
Source => historycollection.com

10. Montezuma's Grand Zoo

Rolling out the red carpet for a paw-some celebrity: Montezuma II, the Aztec emperor, boasted a zoo so grand in 16th-century Tenochtitlan that even the Conquistadors couldn't help but gawk. Alas, the feathered and furred kingdom met its end as smallpox ravaged the city's population, snuffing out the critter castle alongside its human counterparts.
Source => blog.wcs.org

11. Smokefest Banquets

You know how smokers enjoy puffing at a party, but brace yourself for this ancient smokefest: In Tenochtitlan, Aztec banquets and religious ceremonies involved smoking pipes and cigars made from various herbs and grasses, believed to hold medicinal qualities like inducing sleep and soothing asthma. However, overuse could cause irreversible damage. The smoking rituals were elaborate, with the pipe representing a warrior's spear and the ashtray, a shield. Tobacco was a vital part of these feasts, so much so that, as Fray Diego Durán said, "a feast without tobacco was not a real feast." Interestingly, there's no evidence of them creating cigarettes from tobacco leaves before the Europeans did.
Source => mexicolore.co.uk

12. Axolotl Tacos

Hey, have you ever looked at an axolotl and thought, "Is it a salamander, or my taco's next main ingredient?" Well, my friend, the Aztecs were way ahead of you: The quirky axolotl was not only a popular Aztec dish served with a side of transformation myth, but it's also now endangered and mostly found in captivity, slaying the exotic pet game like a proper amphibious queen!
Source => mexicolore.co.uk

13. Record-Breaking Marketplace

Step right up, folks, and behold the miraculous marketplace that puts your local shopping mall to shame: The Tlatelolco market in Tenochtitlan had set spots for everything from bling to bird feed, and hosted a daily crowd of 20,000 to 40,000 lively souls with the occasional festive bump to a whopping 60,000! Take that, Black Friday!
Source => mexicolore.co.uk