While Monte Alban was most important as the political center, Mitla was the main religious center. The name Mitla is derived from the Nuahatl name Mictlan, which was the place of the dead or underworld. Its Zapotec name is Lyobaa, which means “place of rest.”
The ruins at Mitla are really not ruins at all. The buildings have been there since they were constructed hundreds of years ago, and they have resisted falling to ruin in that time, perhaps, because they are built with tousands of pieces of stone, woven into these wonderful patterns that represent the earthly elements that were important to the Zapatec people.
They are the main distinguishing feature of Mitla, these intricate mosaic fretwork and geometric designs that profusely adorn the walls of the ruins (both around the church, which the Spaniards built on top of the site to impress upon the Zapotecs that there was a new god in town) and in the original site that stands behind the church). The geometric patterns, called grecas, seen on some of the stone walls and door frames are made from thousands of cut, polished stones that are fitted together without mortar. The pieces were set against a stucco background painted red. The stones are held in place by the weight of the stones that surround them. Walls, friezes and tombs are decorated with mosaic fretwork. In some cases, such as in lintels, these stone “tiles” are embedded directly into the stone beam. The elaborate mosaics are considered to be a type of “Baroque” design as the designs are elaborate and intricate and in some cases cover entire walls. None of the fretwork designs are repeated exactly anywhere in the complex. The fretwork here is unique in all of Mesoamerica. It is a must-see stop in Oaxaca.
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