Tepoztlan

The Tepozteco mountain dominates views from Tepoztlán

View of Tepozteco pyramid from Tepoztlán. The pyramid is on the right side of the "saddle" (dip) in the cliff.

Ex-convent of Dominico de la Natividad, a World Heritage Site

Tepoztlán is a town in the Mexican state of Morelos. It is located at 18°58′50″N 99°0′2″W / 18.98056, -99.00056 in the heart of the Tepoztlán Valley. The town serves as the seat of government for the municipality of the same name. The municipality reported 32,921 inhabitants in the 2000 national census.

The town is a popular tourist destination near Mexico City. The town is famous for the remains of a temple built on top of the nearby Tepozteco mountain, as well as for the exotic ice-cream flavours prepared by the townspeople.

Tepoztlán was named a "Pueblo Mágico" in 2002.

[edit] Etymology

Tepoztlán is derived from Nahuatl and means "place of abundant copper" or "place of the broken rocks." ^[1] This is derived from the words tepozt-tli (copper) and tlan ("place of/place of abundance"). ^{[2] [3]}

[edit] Climate

The climate around the Tepoztlán Sierra (where el Tepozteco is located) shows temperate as well as some subtropical variations. The rainy season starts during the Summer and ends at the beginning of Autumn. Precipitation reaches 1000 mm/yr in the Tepoztlán Valley and up to 1200 mm/yr in the mountains.

[edit] Economy

Agriculture specially growing of maize, chili and tomatoes. livestock growing. Traditional pottery and handicrafts (for which there is a lively weekend market or tianguis).

• Meztitla Scout Camp School

Owned by the Asociación de Scouts de México, A.C.,located nearby Tepozteco mountain, Meztitla is the National Scout Camp School. Although Meztitla is frequented by Scouts of Mexico and the world, is also open to the public in general.

[edit] History

Mural made from seeds at the church gate

According to myth, Tepoztlan is the birthplace over 1200 years ago of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god widely-worshipped in ancient Mexico. ^[4]

It has not yet been possible to determine who first inhabited the area. The earliest findings of pottery and other ceramic utensils date back to approximately 1500 BCE.

By the 10th century CE the Toltec culture was predominant in the area. Tepoztlán is said to have been the birthplace of Ce Acatl, a very important Toltec leader, later known as Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl, and who may be the possible historical basis of the Mesoamerican god Quetzalcoatl.

During the Spanish Conquest Hernán Cortés is said to have ordered the town razed after the refusal of the town leaders to meet him. This event was chronicled by Bernal Díaz del Castillo in The Conquest of New Spain.

Indie musician Conor Oberst recorded his eponymous self-titled solo debut album in the City in 2008. Although in the sleeve the city is misspelt Tepotzlan.

[edit] See also

• Quetzalcoatl
• Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl
• Morelos
• Meztitla Scout Camp School

[edit] References

• Encyclopedia of Mexican Municipalities: Tepoztlán - In Spanish.

[edit] External links

• http://www.tepoztlan.gob.mx/ - In Spanish.
• http://www.tepoz.com.mx/ - In Spanish.
• Meztitla Homepage- In Spanish.
• Meztitla(ASMAC website)- In Spanish.