Tenochtitlan was the Aztec's capital city. By the early 1500s, it was home to about 300,000 people. It was a beautiful city, with ornate temples and open plazas and tons of little shops, each specializing in a certain goods. There were restaurants, and places you could grab some finger good and a drink. There was fresh food and meat for sale. There were hairdressers, medicine shops, basket shops, herbs and embroidered clothing. Artists were everywhere, painting and sculpting in the marketplace. The city was alive with people and color and culture.
Mexico City was built on the ruins of the Aztec capital city. Like the Aztec capital, Mexico City is a beautiful city, rich with history and culture. Like the Aztec capital, Mexico City is a highly populated city. To get more land, Mexico City covered up the lake.
Today, Mexico City is experiencing the same problem that the engineers in Tenochtitlan experienced hundreds of years ago. The city is built on a swamp. It is sinking. The city fathers, both long ago and today, keep trying to shore the city up. It may be a hopeless task. Only time will tell.