ciudadela

(noun)

Any one of a number of walled cities in the Chimú capital of Chan Chan where elites consolidated power and artisans lived in organized groups to make prestige goods.

Related Terms

Examples of ciudadela in the following topics:

  • Teotihuacan

    • Teotihuacan's principal monuments include the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Ciudadela (Spanish for fortified city center), a vast sunken plaza surrounded by temple platforms.
    • The city's principal religious and political center, the Ciudadela could accommodate an assembly of more than 60,000 people.
    • View from the Pyramid of the Moon down the Avenue of the Dead to the Ciudadela and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

  • Chimú

    • The majority of the citizens in each ciudadela (walled cities in the capital of Chan Chan) were artisans.
    • Artisans were forbidden to change their profession, and were grouped in the ciudadela according to their area of specialization.