Dedication of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlán
- When
- 1487
- Where
- Tenochtitlan
- Episodes
- 2
In 1487, Aztec ruler Ahuitzotl completed the expansion of the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan. The dedication ceremony occurred on 19 December 1487, commemorated on a stone depicting the ruler and his predecessor Tizoc.
Episodes
- Completion of Temple Expansion
Ahuitzotl finished updates started by Tizoc and added his own modifications to the Great Pyramid in 1487.
- Dedication Ceremony
The temple was dedicated on 19 December 1487 during the month of Panquetzaliztli, with Ahuitzotl and Tizoc depicted in the celebration.
Background and detail
Background. The Templo Mayor served as the primary temple of the Mexica in Tenochtitlan. Ahuitzotl, the eighth Aztec ruler, assumed power in 1486 following the death of his brother Tizoc. He initiated a major rebuilding project to expand the Great Pyramid on a grander scale.
Dedication Ceremony. The temple's opening was celebrated during the month of Panquetzaliztli, dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. A commemoration stone depicts Ahuitzotl and Tizoc celebrating the event. The specific date recorded is 7 acatl of the year 8 acatl, corresponding to 19 December 1487.
People involved
- Ahuitzotl · Eighth Aztec ruler who supervised the temple expansion
- Tizoc · Predecessor ruler whose reign saw the start of the fifth temple phase
Sources
- Ahuitzotl Wikipedia, revision of 2026-02-02
- Templo Mayor Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-05
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.