The Aztec Empire is remembered for many things. One of its most interesting qualities is the archetecture and construction techniques. The Aztec Empire is not remembered by most people as a mecca of technological and engineering skill. This is a misconseption. The Aztecs built some of the most beautiful and ornate buildings found in South America. The buildings continue to inspire the viewer.
The Aztec people had diverse architectual styles. They built everything from regular homes to palaces and great pyramids. They are best remembered for the twin-temple style pyramid. This would either consist of two matching temples being constructed side by side, or one largge pyramid with two temples on top. Unlike the pyramids of ancient Egypt, these temples were not huge coffins for royalty. The temples were usually set in a city center surrounded by perhaps a palace and several smaller/lessor shrines. There was no single style of temple that was built in the Aztec Empire. In the city of Caliztlahuaca, the temple was built in a circular pattern. This city was also known for its private homes, "...all houses, commoner and elite, had well constructed wall foundations of cut stones." This shows the trend in Aztec cities. The Aztecs led their region in techology and engineering. This is in part due to their city-state government and the competition between cities to build the biggest and the best. The city of Tenochhtitlan was by all accounts the largest and most grandiose, but the other lessor cities still felt the need to compete against each other. Which alongside their development of archetecture the Aztecs established a base of their culture through their written and artistic world.
