Travel to Oaxaca, city in Mexico

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:02:36 +0000

Oaxaca is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name. It is situated in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín extending to the banks of the Atoyac River. It is at 1500 m above sea level and has a mild climate year-round. Its popularity, Oaxaca owns to splendid architecture, brilliant handicrafts and amazing archeological sites. It is the type of the city that mostly relies on the tourism because of the large number of colonial-era structures and archeological sites such as Monte Alban and Mitla. Due to all that, this city is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has been inhabited in prehistoric times and the first Europeans to arrive in the area were Dominican friars who came to convert the native people to Catholicism.
All around the city, there are different building all decorated with the colonial architecture, and every one beautiful in its own way. The most outstanding architectural masterpiece is Santo Domingo church. It is a jewel in the crown of Dominican architecture, built between 1550 and 1619. The opulent baroque interior of Santo Domingo church contrasts with its sedate exterior, making it really special. A short distance from Oaxaca city there are several archaeological sites located. The most distinguished is Monte Alban. It is the capital of the Zapotec people from 500 B.C. to 800 A.D. Located on the mountain-top; it offers impressive views of the valley below. The monumental center of Monte Albán is the Main Plaza. It is delimited by large platforms accessible from the plaza via monumental staircases. One characteristic of Monte Albán is the large number of carved stone monuments one encounters throughout the plaza. Another important site is the site of Mitla. It is located in the Eastern arm of the Oaxaca valley and five main groups of buildings remain including the Grupo de las Columnas and the Grupo de Iglesia. The walls are decorated with distinctive geometric mosaics that characterize Mitla’s buildings and traces of paintwork and some artifacts are still retained.
Oaxacan handicrafts are known all over the world and some of the most sought-after items are Zapotec wool rugs, Black pottery and Wood carvings called “alebrijes”. What is more, it is also known for its distinctive cuisine, you have to try mole, quesillo and tlayudas. Hotels range from small, informal places to luxurious hotels, it all depends how much you want to spend on it. During the year there are several fiestas in Oaxaca, and some of them are Day of the Dead celebrations, Radish Night and The Guelaguetza, dance festival. This folk dance festival is the most popular festival in the state and it is held every July and takes place in an auditorium overlooking the city.

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Catedral Metropolitana aka Metropolitan Cathedral

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:33:15 +0000

Cathedral Metropolitana is the large cathedral on the North side of the Plaza de la Constitución. It took almost 3 centuries to construct and decorate this beautiful cathedral which is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. As a result of being built over such a long period of time, the cathedral is host of a diversity of architectal styles. It has four facades which contain portals flanked with columns and statues, two bell towers that hold 25 bells. There are sixteen chapels and fourteen of them are open to the public. Unfortunately, like many buildings in Mexico City, Cathedral Metropolitana is gradually sinking into the ground as well. This is contributed by the city’s soft clay subsoil, the weight of the cathedral and the uneven foundations. In order to stabilize the building, the restoration works begun in the 1990s. However, the gold has not been reached; the only thing that could be done was to correct the tilting towers and ensured that the cathedral will now sink uniformly. When it comes to the interior of the cathedral, it is as astonishing as its exterior, filled with important historical items. If you are interested in seeing many other historical buildings, when exiting the Cathedral turn right and go to Francisko Madero Street, originally called San Francisco Street due to a Franciscan church and monastery.

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Travel to Oaxaca, city in Mexico

Catedral Metropolitana aka Metropolitan Cathedral