Why
Monte Alban
is special

Mount Alban was the capital of the powerful Zapotec civilization from around 500 BC to 800 AD.

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Monte Alban
tips & insights

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Setting

Monte Alban majestically sits on an artificially flattened mountain top overlooking the valleys of Oaxaca in central Mexico.

The center of Monte Alban is a vast plaza ringed with temples, royal tombs and other ancient structures.

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Peak period

The Monte Alban glory days covered two centuries, 600 to 800 AD. It was quite powerful and had a metropolitan population of at least 25,000.

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Decline

The Zapotec civilization then started a rapid decline and eventually Monte Alban was abandoned. The Mextics took over and used the summit primarily as a burial ground.

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View

The best panoramic photo vantage point for the ruins is on the raised area named the Southern Platform.

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