The Teotitlá Church

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Teotitlán’s church, built over an earlier Zapotec temple, contains many interesting pre- Columbian stones, which the Dominican friars allowed to be incorporated into its walls. Notice the corn motif carved into the front doorway arch, similar in style to the monolith built into the outside wall at the right of the church entrance steps.

Inside, admire the nave’s flowery overhead decorations and the colorful Bible-story paintings. Continue from the nave into the intimate claustro (cloister) and see the Zapotec god of the wind, with stone curls carved to represent the wind (in the southwest corner, to the right as you enter from the nave).

Outside, behind the church, continue to the reconstructed foundation corner of the original Zapotec temple. Notice the uniquely Zapotec stone fretwork, similar to the famous greca remains at Mitla, 20 miles (32 km) farther east.

© Bruce Whipperman from Moon Oaxaca, 5th edition

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