Americas

[Visited: August 2021 and before]

Many years after my first visit to the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, I am on my way back again. My previous visit seems especially long ago given that it was long before Covid hit the world and made travel, and the simplest things like visiting a museum, a planning exercise, or simply impossible. I am not supposed to take public transportation and decide to walk all the way from my hotel. When Chapultepec Park appears in front of my eyes, I know I am close. Some ten minutes later, I find myself in front of the museum. I find a big fountain with people wandering about, and am happily surprised to not see many people in line for the entrance. I leave my bag, buy my ticket, and before I know it (and much easier than I expected given the Covid restrictions), I am under the enormous roof that hangs over the courtyard of the museum.
This is the so-called paraguas, or umbrella: water runs down along the central pillar in which figures are carved. A good preparation for what I am going to see. What follows is a sheer endless meandering through rooms filled with pre-Colombian riches, overwhelming the visitor with a multitude of cultures that existed before the Spaniards conquered the Mexican lands. There are hundreds of masks, of jewellery, of precious stones, carvings, of statues, finds from tombs, and goddesses. Then, there are also replicas of entire pyramids built into the museum, painted in bright colours, with carved heads of animals. There are walls with brightly painted murals, giving the museum a rich and artful look. There really is so much to see, and especially if you can read Spanish, there are plenty of explanations to read.
There are many places where I experience a déjà vu: although I still have much of this great country to explore, I have seen my share of temples in various parts of Mexico. I see several statues with Chac-mool, the messengers between humans and gods, in its characteristic half lying pose. There are intricately carved stelae. There are statues of gods of maize, easily recognizable by the corncobs in their hands. There are exhibitions outside the main building: more replicas of temples and tombs. Then, in one of the big halls, there is the famous Solar Stone, important in the sun worshipping culture of Mexica. It is a huge disk filled to the brim with symbolic carvings. For me, probably the highlight of the entire museum. There are many more rooms - and then, there is also upstairs! When I finally come back to the big umbrella, I take some time to let all those impressions of the last hours sink in before I leave the beautiful building. I will be back.

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National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico)

National Museum of Anthropology > Mexico > Americas

[Visited: August 2021 and before]

Around the World in 80 Clicks