Photographs by Joseph Sorrentino
The San Pablo Church sits atop the ruins of Mitla, a prehispanic city located about 40 kms (25 miles) southeast of the city of Oaxaca, in an area that’s been occupied for at least 2,000 years. Mitla began as a Zapotec village, becoming an important political and religious center after the fall of Monte Albán in 750 AD. Mixtecas occupied the city around 1,000 AD but Zapotecans continued to inhabit the city and some of the decorations on the buildings show the influence of both of these cultures as well as Teotihuacán. At its peak, between 750 and 1521, the city had approximately 10,500 inhabitants. It fell to the Spanish in 1521.
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