With the help of trained engineers, builders, and traders, the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan became a great city. It had huge temples, beautiful open plazas, and a huge bustling central marketplace.  By the mid-1400’s, Tenochtitlan had a population of about 300,000 people, which made it the largest city in the world at that time! 

When Spanish soldiers first arrived in the Valley of Mexico, they were amazed at what they found in the capital city of Tenochtitlan. Everything was clean. There were “eating houses” and hairdressers. You could buy medicines and herbs and all kinds of food. You could buy meat and game. There were streets that sold only pottery and mats.  Painters could buy the paints they needed for their art. 

One soldier said, “There were soldiers among us who had been in many parts of the world, in Constantinople and Rome and all over Italy, who said that they had never before seen a market place so large and so filled with people.” 

Cortes, the leader of the Spanish soldiers, mentioned in one of letters home that he believed there were more than 60,000 people in the marketplace buying and selling wares. No one used money. Goods were bartered and small differences in value were evened up using cocoa beans! Cortes found the use of cocoa beans quite amusing. But then, he had never tasted hot chocolate before.   

Today, Mexico City is sitting on the site of the original Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Mexico City has covered up the lake. All that is left are small pockets of water, and underground waterways.  This has caused Mexico City a lot of problems.  Mexico City today is experiencing the same problems as the ancient Aztecs did long ago. Mexico City is sinking. The city fathers keep shoring it up. No one wants to lose the city. It’s an absolutely beautiful city, rich in history and culture.