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. Situated at an elevation of 1,480 meters and 38 k from  Oaxaca, the ruins of Mitla are one of Mexico's most fascinating and enigmatic sacred places. The word Mitla is a term from the Nahuatl language meaning 'Place of the Dead', and the earlier Zapotec name of Lyobaa means 'tomb' or 'place of rest'. These two names, as well as the findings of the archaeological excavators, indicate that the village had great importance as a place of burial during both Zapotec and Mixtec times.

All pictures in this Mexico photo gallery are copyrighted by Victor Ovies unless stated otherwise. This includes (but is not limited to) the following photo galleries: Mexico DF, Chiapas, Yucatan, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Puebla, Taxco and the pre-Columbian sites of Chichen Itza, Dzibichaltun, Edzna, El Tajin, Monte Alban and Mitla (Oaxaca), Palenque (Chiapas) and La Venta (Tabasco), Ruta Puuc, Tulum and Uxmal in addition to the Maya Route highlights  You may download and store them for personal use only. Unauthorized reproduction or commercial use of this material is forbidden and will be prosecuted.