The 1st temple that we visited in the Citadel was the South Edifice. The South Edifice is mainly just a ruin with a foundation and walls. I did not feel anything in particular from this temple.
According to the INAH Plaque accompanying this structure, the inhabitants built the South Edifice in 7 different stages which reflect Teotihuacan’s entire history.The oldest remains relate to rooms which existed prior to the group’s construction. The following stages relate to the superimposed pyramidal bases facing west with steps leading to the upper part where the temples were located. Substructure II includes the remains of 1 of these temples bounded by low balustrades and decorated with concentric circles painted green and black on a red background. The body base has a “slope and panel” style different from the typical Teotihuacan style in its mouldings. The panel has remains of a mural painting with crosses formed by superimposed red rectangles bounded by black lines. 3 concentric circles, called “chalchihuites” (translation: drops of water or precious things such as the green stone), appear in the crosses. The entire figure forms the sign that the inhabitants called “quincuncen” or “quinterno”, associated with the Pre-Hispanic directions of the universe: the 4 cardinal points plus the center. Only traces remain of a few walls of Substructure I. The most recent base, called the South Edifice, completely covers all of the previous constructions. The South Edifice’s architectural style corresponds to Teotihuacan’s last phase; the structure had only 1 body with sloped walls and a temple on top.
