Museo Fuego Nuevo, Archaeological museum in Iztapalapa, Mexico
The Museo Fuego Nuevo is an archaeological museum in Iztapalapa built in a pyramid-like form with side staircases and stepped exterior pathways. The different levels of the building lead visitors through the exhibition galleries, all connected by outdoor stairways.
The museum was established following archaeological discoveries made in 1997 and 1998 on a slope of Huizachtépetl. It opened in 1998 as a memorial to the ancient ceremonies that once took place on this hill.
The museum displays objects connected to the New Fire ceremony, a ritual performed every 52 years to renew the sacred fire. Visitors can see ancient calendars, models, and artifacts that show how this ceremony unfolded on the slopes of Huizachtépetl.
The museum sits inside Parque Nacional Cerro de la Estrella and is open Tuesday through Sunday. Entry is free, and since the different levels are reached by outdoor staircases, comfortable shoes are a good idea.
Architect David Peña had informative plaques about the myth of the five suns built directly into the structure of the building. These plaques follow visitors along as they move through the spaces, turning the walls themselves into part of the story.
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