Tula is a
Mesoamerican archeological site, which was an important regional center which reached its height as the capital of the
Toltec Empire between the fall of
Teotihuacan and the rise of
Tenochtitlan. It has not been well studied in comparison to these other two sites, and disputes remain as to its political system, area of influence and its relations with contemporary Mesoamerican cities, especially with
Chichen Itza. The site is located in the city of
Tula de Allende in the Tula Valley, in what is now the southwest of the Mexican state of
Hidalgo, northwest of
Mexico City. The archeological site consists of a museum, remains of an earlier settlement called Tula Chico as well as the main ceremonial site called Tula Grande. The main attraction is the Pyramid of
Quetzalcoatl which is topped by four, four metre high
basalt columns carved in the shape of
Toltec warriors. Tula fell around 1150, but it had significant influence in the following
Aztec Empire, with its history written about heavily in myth. The feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl is linked to this city, whose worship was widespread from central Mexico to Central America at the time the Spanish arrived.