Oaxaca de Juárez, known also as Oaxaca City, is the capital of the Mexican State of Oaxaca founded by the Ahuízotl in 1486. The city is located in the Central Valleys and it is the most longest and populated of the State of Oaxaca both commercially and economically.
Oaxaca de Juárez is located 547 kilometres south-eastern of Mexico City at an altitude of about 5,000 feet and sited over a fertile valley with a semi-warm and arid climate and rains in summer. The metropolitan area of Oaxaca includes 17 municipalities extended over 33 square miles.
In 1532, Oaxaca de Juárez received the name of Noble and loyal city by the Spanish King Carlos V taking the name of Antequera.
But in 1821 it was replaced by Oaxaca, being a word derived by the Náhuatl which means in the nose of the gourdes because of the city is located in the top of the mountains with gourdes trees. Finally, in 1872, according to the death of Benito Juárez, the city was named Oaxaca de Juárez.
Despite there was a conflict between the Zapotecs, Mexicas and Mixtecos in 1520, this ended when the Spaniards arrived. The first Spanish who arrived in Oaxaca was Francisco de Orozco in 1521, which came here looking for gold. Afterwards many fights and success with the native settlers, in 1528 Oaxaca was recognized as Nueva Antequera Village.
Nowadays, the city has become a tourism zone because of its Historical Centre and Monte Albán Archaeological Site, which both were declared World Heritage by Unesco in 1987. And it is also place of the famous festivity the Guelaguetza, a religious celebration that joins seven regions of the State in dances for the Virgin Carmen; as same as the Night of the Radishes celebration.
Some other tourist attractions are Santo Domingo de Guzmán Temple with the baroque Mexican style, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Oaxaca, La Soledad Basilica. Also, a tourism attraction is the principal Plaza de la Constitución, known as Zócalo which has been built in 1529 by Alonso García installing a modern city in concordance with the Spanish cities at those times and planting ash trees as same as its gorgeous fountain.
There are also historic constructions such as Espacio de Diversidad Palace and Museum, the Mercadores Portal, the Alameda de León Garden, the Andador Macedonio Alcalá street, Museum of Contemporary Art and the Parish of the Precious Blood of Christ.
Among their typical traditions, there most popular is the Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), a ceremony in which is invoked the ancestor’s spirits in order to ask them to coexist in our world smothering them with attentions.