Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco


World Heritage Identification Number: 412

World Heritage since: 1987

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇲🇽 Mexico

Continent: Americas

UNESCO World Region: Latin America and the Caribbean

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Exploring the Rich History and Cultural Landscape of the Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco

The Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, offers a unique blend of ancient Aztec heritage, Spanish colonial architecture, and modern urban development. This article aims to delve into the historical significance, architectural wonders, and cultural richness of these two distinct yet interconnected regions.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Built in the 16th century by the Spanish on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the old Aztec capital, Mexico City is now one of the world's largest and most densely populated cities. It has five Aztec temples, the ruins of which have been identified, a cathedral (the largest on the continent) and some fine 19th- and 20th-century public buildings such as the Palacio de las Bellas Artes. Xochimilco lies 28 km south of Mexico City. With its network of canals and artificial islands, it testifies to the efforts of the Aztec people to build a habitat in the midst of an unfavourable environment. Its characteristic urban and rural structures, built since the 16th century and during the colonial period; have been preserved in an exceptional manner.

Encyclopedia Record: Historic center of Mexico City

The historic center of Mexico City, also known as the Centro or Centro Histórico, is the central neighborhood in Mexico City, Mexico, focused on the Zócalo and extending in all directions for a number of blocks, with its farthest extent being west to the Alameda Central. The Zocalo is the largest plaza in Latin America. It can hold up to nearly 100,000 people.

Read more on Wikipedia

Additional Site Details

Area: 3,010.86 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement

Coordinates: 19.41833 , -99.13278

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Image of Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco

© Ralf Roletschek, GFDL 1.2 Resized from original.

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Country Information: Mexico

Flag of Mexico

Official Name: United Mexican States

Capital: Mexico City

Continent: Americas

Population (2024): 130,861,007

Population (2023): 129,739,759

Population (2022): 128,613,117

Land Area: 1,943,950 sq km

Currency: Mexican peso (MXN)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Historic center of Mexico City, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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