Малиналько: Древний город ацтеков и священное наследие Мексики

the archeological site

Malinalco (maliˈnalko) is the municipality inside of Ixtapan Region, is a town and municipality located 65 kilometers south of the city of Toluca in the south of the western portion of the State of Mexico. Malinalco is southwest of Mexico City. Malinalco has always been associated with magic or sorcery due to the legend that it was the home the goddess Malinalxóchitl. The municipality is home to the famed village of Chalma, where according to legend, an image of a Black Christ miraculously appeared in a cave that was devoted to the god Oxtoteotl. It is the second most visited shrine in Mexico, after the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Aztecs conquered the area in the 1470s, and established a sanctuary for their military elite, the Eagle and Jaguar warriors. The complex was built on the Cerro de los Idolos (Hill of the Idols), over an older ceremonial site. The main attraction of this archeological site is the Cuauhcalli or House of Eagles, which is a building carved out of the side of the mountain. The name Malinalco comes from the Nahuatl word malinalli, which is a kind of grass (Poaceae) called zacate del carbonero in Spanish, the word xóchitl, which means flower and co, which means place, which a translation of “where they worship the goddess Malinalxóchitl, the malinalli flower”. The name also refers to one of the time periods on the Aztec calendar, marked by the malinalli plant, according to the Quauhtinchan Annals. In Aztec and early colonial times, the area was represented by a number of glyphs, often with elements of the malinalli plant and/or a human skull to indicate sacrifice. which covers an area of 186.28km2. Plans to rescue the river include reforestation around the river’s source, improving drainage systems in Malinalco and other communities, eliminating liquid discharges into the river and better solid waste management in the municipality.

Malinalco has some of the widest biodiversity in Mexico. Its tropical deciduous, pine, and gallery forests accommodate a huge variety of flora and fauna. Dozens of mammals such as civet, armadillos, foxes, coyotes, squirrels and deer are common. Jaguars may live in the region, according to the UAEMEX. There are also many species of insects, crustaceans, birds, and edible mushrooms. There are very few dangerous animals, such as coral snakes, rattlesnakes, and scorpions. There are a number of myths that have demonized some animals like the scorpion vinagrillo or nana, the salamanquesca, a blue tailed lizard, the Matip night and many others. The Living Museum "The Malinalco Bugs" and the turtle camp Mali Xanat display some of the local species.

Sanctuary of the Lord of Chalma consists of the church, the 17th century ex monastery, caves and lodgings on the ridges around the town. The lodgings are primarily used during feast days when the area is packed with pilgrims. A stucco gate marks the entrance to the sacred precinct. Here is a concrete plaza in front of the church where mariachi players wait for requests and pilgrims on their knees can be seen. On its sides are a number of pre Hispanic structures built on terraces built into the hill. The main structures are at the top. is the main building, which is significant in that it is carved out of the hill itself. built this way due to the lack of space on the hill. The garden is a replica of that of the Cuauhcalli, which is also not open to visitors. The Casa de Cultura or Cultural Center is located in the center of town in front of the Municipal Palace. It is decorated with replicas of the murals found at the archeological zone and old photographs of native cultures. It also hosts dances, expositions and other cultural events. The Tlakuikani Gallery hosts expositions of contemporary arts done by artists from Malinalco and other parts of the State of Mexico. This gallery is located in the Barrio de Santa Maria Norte and specializes in the exposition and sale of oil paintings and wood carvings. Outside of the center of town, there are many small neighborhoods, each having its own chapel. Most of these chapels were built between the 16th and the 17th centuries and many of these, such as those of Santa Maria, San Martin, San Guillermo, San Pedro, San Andres and La Soledad are considered to be works of art. For example, the chapel of San Juan has reliefs of Augustinian monks and the head of the encomendero of Malinalco, Cristobàl Romero. All of the chapels in the town face west with the exception of the Chapel of Santa Mónica. This one is dedicated to the mother of the founder of the order and faces the convent. Each one is unique in some way, and each has its own feast day. Most of these are located south of the town center following Benito Juarez Street out of town. Chapels include those of Santa María, San Martín, San Guillermo, San Pedro, San Andrés and the Virgin of Soledad. One to the north is the Chapel of San Juan, which has reliefs of Augustine friar Cristobal Romero. To the west is the Chapel of Santa Mónica, which has been quite altered in the last two centuries.

The first sport practiced in Malinalco was football. The town has a second division club named Colibríes de Malinalco. Swimming and basketball facilities are also available. The hills of Malinalco are grazed by cows and sheep; the Spanish had very large haciendas and found it necessary to employ indigenous people as vaqueros or herdsman, who soon became experienced horsemen. The area is popular with tourists, with several nightclubs and other venues popular on weekends.