ZONA ARQUEOLÓGICA DE MITLA
One of the most important sites of the Zapotec culture, divided into five large groups in Mitla
About forty kilometers from Oaxaca, this site is one of the most important of the Zapotec culture. The ruins of the city are scattered throughout the city and not all of them are worth a visit. They are divided into five large groups that have similarities in their layout: rectangular esplanades are lined with large halls. Among them, the Church Group (where the main church of the village, San Pablo Apostol, is located today) is noteworthy, since the Spaniards built their temple here on the bases of a pyramid. The courtyard with its string of monolithic stone columns, typical of the site, is to be admired right next to it, and these were both structural and ornamental elements. The other group (the Group of Columns, the part of the site that is subject to a fee) is located in a magnificent garden of endemic plants where cacti abound. It consists of various patios, surrounded by staggered bases. Around the first patio, the façades and interior walls of the buildings are richly decorated with carved stone friezes inserted into the structure: these are the famous Greek mosaics, motifs that can be found on many textiles in the region. In the second patio, a beautiful staircase leads to the famous Salon des Colonnes. The last patios contain two cruciform tombs that can be entered. The configuration of these tombs reveals a high level of knowledge in architecture, engineering and astronomy.
