Transcript Chocolate

Tenochtitlan’s Plaza
What is a plaza?
Many major cities throughout the world, today and in the past,
have plazas. A plaza is a large space in the downtown or
center of the city. Plazas are also known as squares because
of their shape.
What is in a plaza?
A Plaza is considered the heart of the city where many pe
ople gather for special events like festivals. Often, there a
re
park benches, restaurants and stores that surround the pl
aza. Sometimes, you will find a fountain or a statute.
Today you find plazas like Times Square in New York and
Fountain Square in Cincinnati.
Tenochtitlan’s Plaza
Hundreds of years ago, in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, th
e
plaza served as the center of the empire. Large pyramid
temples and buildings stood around the plaza. The wide o
pen space next to the famous Templo Mayor (TEMP-low M
Y-or).
Each morning, thousands of people would gather on the plaza for a ma
rket where they could buy and sell goods. Merchants would bring their
things for sale on boats that traveled the many canals in the city. A mer
chant is a
person whose job is to sell goods. Shoppers would find a wide selecti
on of merchandise for sale.
Corn, fish, and vegetables were some of the foods available. There were many
kinds of birds, including eagles and parrots. If you were building something, y
ou
could buy wood logs, stone, and tile. Flowers of many colors filled the stalls in
the
plaza.