7A-+Striking,+Stunning,+Astonishing+Architecture+of+the+Aztecs+(Lindsey,+Sophia)

=__media type="custom" key="8657158"What Types of Architecture did the Aztecs build and how was it important to them?__= media type="custom" key="8653780"

__**The Homes of Aztec Emperors**__
This Wordle describes the homes of Aztec emperors.

The homes of the Aztec emperor were very large and extravagant. Their homes were two stories, and had a large courtyard. The walls had paintings, carvings, and gold panels. On the first floor, there were four main rooms as well as columns in the center of the palace that supported the second floor. These rooms were very large and each had a specific purpose. The first of the main rooms in the palace was the reception chamber. Here, the emperor would meet with people of importance, including travelers and nobles. The next room was the emperor's personal apartment. This room was relatively large, and its purpose was to hold the tributes and gifts the king recieved. Next was the meeting chamber. People from all around the emperor's nation would travel here to relay news and give gifts to the ruler. Finally, the last main room of the emperor's palace was the tribute store. All of the gifts the emperor recieved were stored tightly here, as there was often not sufficient space. source 2a

__﻿Twin Stair Pyramids__
This Glogster explains what Twin Stair Pyramids are and gives some examples of these magnificent pyramids. In addition, you will learn why these structures were important to the Aztecs.

Twin Stair Pyramids had two sets of stairs. Each of the sets of stairs led up to a seperate temple on top of the pyramid. Each of these temples was dedicated to a seperate god. A great example of an Aztec Twin Stair Pyramid is the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. As you can see on the image on our Glogster, there are two sets of stairs. At the top of each set of stairs is a temple. One is colored blue and the other red, indicating that each temple was dedicated to a different god. In this case, the temple to the left is dedicated to Tlaloc, the god of rain and agriculture. The temple dedicated to this god was decorated in blue and white to symboized water and moisture. The temple on the right was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. This god was the god of war and sun. His temple was decorated with red and white. These structures were important to the Aztec people because they believed that by being at the top of the pyramid, you will be as close to the gods as you could get. They believed this because the gods lived in the sky, much higher than they did. This explains why these pyramids were so tall. media type="custom" key="8653360"

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__Round Pyramids__
This Glogster explains what Round Pyramids were, gives examples of them and explains how these pyramids were meaningful to the Aztecs.

Round Pyramids were dedicated to the god Quetazlcoatal, the god of wind. More specifically, they were dedicated to Ehecatl, a form of Quetzalcoatal. It was because of who these pyramids were dedicated to that these pyramids were shaped the way they were; round. The temples weren't completely round, however. The sides were rounded so as not to act as a barrier to the wind, and therefore the God of Wind, from entering or passing. Respecting the Rain God was so important to the Aztecs because if the god remained pleased with them, he would blow wind in the four cardinal directions, which cleansed the land and allowed Tlaloc to send rain. Gentle wind would be blown to the east where Tlalocan lived. Gales of wind were sent to Mictlan, the underworld. Gentle cold winds would go in the direction of Cihuapipiltin. Finally, strong winds flowed south, where the Hitznahua gods lived. An example of a Round Pyramid is the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, located in Xochicalco. This is a good example because the round features are very clear, which helps you get and even deeper understanding of how important these structures were to the Aztecs.

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__Templo Mayor__
This Glogster goes into detail about Templo Mayor and why it was important to the Aztecs.

Templo Mayor was a Twin Stair Pyramid. Many religious ceremonies were performed at this structure, which may have contributed to the fact that this temple was located in the capital of the Aztec Empire, Tenochtitlan, along with the fact that it stood roughly ninety feet high. This temple dominated the entire city of Tenochtitlan. At the foot of the temple were "...expertly carved serpent heads..." (source 16). Closer to the top, "...sculptures of figures holding standards displayed banners made of brigh paper and feathers" (source 16) decorated the temple. There were "... seven major building phases of the Templo Mayor..." (source 16). The first structure was simple, and it was built in 1325 (when Tenochtitlan was founded), and probably dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. After this, the temple grew dramatically in both size and decoration. The Aztecs were, at some points in time, forced to reconstruct or enlarge the temple due to natural causes. However, most of the temple's growth was due to powerful rulers celebrating "... own coronations, to honor the gods, and to validate the power of the Aztec empire." (source 16) The most significant expansion of Templo Mayor was made by Motecuhzoma l. Impressive art works and architectureal elements were added by this ruler. media type="custom" key="8653406" source 4, source 16