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Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán

Mexico
Date of Inscription: 1987
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)
Core zone: 375 ha
Buffer zone: 121 ha
Etat de Oaxaca de Juarez, municipalites de Oaxaca, Xoxocotlan et Cuilapan
N17 03 43 W96 43 18
Ref: 415

Brief Description

Inhabited over a period of 1,500 years by a succession of peoples – Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs – the terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds of Monte Albán were literally carved out of the mountain and are the symbols of a sacred topography. The nearby city of Oaxaca, which is built on a grid pattern, is a good example of Spanish colonial town planning. The solidity and volume of the city's buildings show that they were adapted to the earthquake-prone region in which these architectural gems were constructed.

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