National Cultural Heritage

by: Karla Sofia Barroso Zaragoza

Hi! Welcome to our blog, in this occasion we are going to show you just a few things about national cultural heritage because there are a lot more of them in our country which is one of the richest in culture, but before we start, ask yourself this: Do you know what cultural heritage is? Just a bit? I don’t want to doubt about you, but we survey some students and… well, the most of them have an idea, but there are other ones that don’t have it, and that is why we created this blog. Now, it’s time to start.

As we have read in the introduction, national cultural heritage, which we only attribute artistic, historic and archaeological properties, actually also includes language, music, traditions, customs, and recently, pictures and films, such as another things that represents a lot of a place. All this is known as tangible and intangible cultural heritage of a country.

For example (some of the less known) Paquimé’s archeological zone or big houses in Chihuahua state, Papantla flyers, Zacatecas’s historical zone and Luis Barragan’s house, all of them are national cultural heritages that I will explain you a bit in this entry.

Paquimé’s labyrinthic adobe walls, northwest in Chihuahua

Formed by labyrinthic adobe walls, Paquimé is located in Casas Grandes, northwest in Chihuahua, has an area of 36 hectares which only a 20% has been explored. It developed between 700’s and 1450 a.C. and was in the middle of other sites such as Cuarenta Casas, Cueva de la Olla, Las Vigas-Babicora, was recognized as cultural heritage in 1999 and took a very important part in trading relations between the town with the same name and some other ones that were advanced.

 

Bird-men dancing at sunset to please Gods 

According to a Totonaca legend, Gods said: “Dance, we’ll see you”. And that’s exactly what bird-man or flyers do, they dance to please Gods.

The origin of this ceremony comes from prehispanic era. Even if it doesn’t have an exact date, exist a legend that describes a reason to the ceremony:
“A long time ago, a drought in Totonacapan’s zone (today Veracruz and Puebla) caused problems between communities of the zone and decimated a lot of their habitants.

A group of old wise men told some young people to locate and cut down the tallest, stockiest and straight tree in the mount to use it in a ceremony with music and dancers as a way to ask Gods rainy days to make fertile again its ground. This ceremony must be on the top of the tree because that way prayer would be listening by their protectors”.

It’s essential to say that the ceremony we love is the final part because they used to start choosing the flyer stick by the caporal.
This ceremony was elected intangible property by UNESCO in 2009.

Aerial view of Zacatecas, where we can find historical centre

Formed in 1546 after discovering silver in zone, Zacatecas reached to the top in XVI and XVII centuries.

Built on a valley, city enjoys spectacular landscape and has a lot of old buildings.

Cathedral built between 1730 and 1760 is an important place of the downtown. Its harmonious design where European and indigenous elements find each other in both sides is what makes it shine.

This place was declared Heritage of the Humanity since 1993 by UNESCO. Also takes part of Camino Real de Tierra Adentro which was recognized as Heritage of the Humanity in 2010. This city has 2 Humanity Heritages by UNESCO that is what makes it so special.

Built in 1948 and designed by Luis Barragan, this house is known because has a lot of international significance.
This house and studio lived by Luis until 1988, has in its design a lot of striking colors.

Barragan tried to give a personal touch to the design, dividing the house in different areas using a logic that involves traditional Mexican architecture and modern international architecture. Luis has been one of the most influential Mexican architects. In 2004, UNESCO added the house to its Heritage of Humanity list.

Now that you and me know more about the exquisite heritage of our country, we’d like to invite you to respect and take care of it, but specially to feel proud because it is what gives us identity as a country, imagine how would be Mexico without its delicious food or mariachis, even some festivities as Death’s day or archeological zones in the state, we think that Mexico wouldn’t be what is, people wouldn’t have what identify us, Mexico wouldn’t be itself.