According to Legend, the Aztecs were told by a God to find a place where an  eagle stood upon a cactus with a snake in its beak, and there, to build  Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital that was to become epicentre of power for the  powerful Aztec Empire.

In 1978, some electricity workers unearthed an 8-tonne stone disc of Coyolxauqui ("Koh -yowl-shau-kwee"), an Aztec  Goddess. Further exploration revealed that there was a an entire archaeological wonder lying beneath Mexico City's streets, and a decision was  taken to demolish some old colonial buildings, to reveal the Templo Mayor (Main Temple) - and the place where it is believed the Aztecs saw the sign given to them by their Gods; Today it is still Mexico's national symbol: An eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak.

It was nine years hence, in  1987, that the official museum was actually opened, but people have been visiting the site, even during the digging stages, albeit in limited numbers and  in restricted areas.

The Templo Mayor is today a major attraction in Mexico-city, and one of Mexico's most important archaeological sites.  If you're in Mexico City, the Templo Mayor should be on high on your list of places to explore and experience.

The Museo del Templo Mayor has a stunning collection of Aztec artefacts -  the best you'll find anywhere - and they were all dug up from the ruins around  the Templo Mayor.

The Templo Mayor itself is a stunning piece of archaeology. The Temple and other structures you see here were some of the first sights Hernan Cortez and his Spanish travellers saw when they arrived at  Tenochtitlan nearly 500 years ago