Mexico City’s 700th Anniversary

This year, 2025, Mexico City is celebrating its 700th anniversary. There are various official activities to be observed, including the unveiling of a monument on July 26th.

Mexico’s original name was Tenochtitlan. It was founded on an island on Lake Texcoco in 1325. As time went on the Aztecs expanded their city, using some ingenious engineering techniques to build and maintain a thriving city on a lake. It was the capital of the growing Aztec Empire.

When the Spaniards under Hernan Cortes arrived in 1519 they were astonished at Tenochtitlan, this spectacular city on the lake. And these were soldiers who had seen a lot of cities in Europe.

One of Cortes’ soldiers, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, described the impression of the Spaniards as they first approached the city: “…we were astonished, and we were saying that they  appeared to be the enchanted things told of in the book of Amadis [a chivalric romance], for the great towers and temples and buildings that they had in the water…” 

Here’s an artist’s rendition of Tenochtitlan in 1519:

In 1521, the Aztecs were defeated and the city of Tenochtitlan was destroyed. But it was rebuilt as a Spanish-style city by the Spaniards, using the same stones.

After independence, it became the capital of independent Mexico.

Here’s an aerial view of contemporary Mexico City, which now covers most of the old lake bed. It’s one of the world’s biggest metropolitan areas. It’s a world class city with many things that tourists find of interest. It is the political, economic and cultural capital of Mexico and the biggest Spanish-speaking city in the world.

So happy 700th, Mexico City!

If you’re interested, check out my articles on Mexico City on another website:

Mexico City: Forward looking city with a pre-Hispanic past

The Zocalo is the heart of Mexico City

Chapultepec: Mexico City’s urban forest

Moving millions through Mexico City’s Metro