Aztecs

A rendered model of Tenochtitlan.

The Aztecs were a civilization that lived in modern day Mexico. Their capital city Tenochtitlan was built in the middle of Lake Texcoco at the site of modern day Mexico City. The Aztecs were able grow in, overthrowing their reining power Azcapotzalco, and become an empire. In their over 200 year reign, they built magnificent pyramids, most notable the temple of the jaguar a sacred temple for their elite jaguar knights. The empire came to a sudden end when in 1521 the Spanish, led by Hernando Cortes, laid siege to the capital city and conquered the empire.

The city of Teotihuacan.

Many of the structures that the Aztecs are famous for building are pyramids. The pyramids were used as temples, and used daily for religious ceremonies. The most famous temple was the Pyramid of the Sun. Located in the city of Teotihuacan, it predates the Aztecs by centuries. The pyramid is about 200 feet high, with over 250 stairs which leads to the top, and rises above the landscape. The city was thought by the Aztecs to be sacred, as it was the city of the gods, and the actually birth place of the sun.