Tenochtitlan, founded in 1325, was the powerful capital of the Aztec Empire, built on a series of islands in Lake Texcoco. Designed with sophisticated urban planning, the city used canals for transportation, raised causeways for access, and chinampas to produce abundant food. Its center was dominated by the Templo Mayor, where religion, politics, and ritual were tightly intertwined. As a thriving center of trade and culture with a population rivaling Europe’s largest cities, Tenochtitlan stood a