The Pyramid of the Moon, at the north end of the Calzada de los Muertos, is smaller than the Pirámide del Sol, but more gracefully proportioned. Completed around 300 CE, its summit is nearly the same height as the Pirámide del Sol because it’s built on higher ground, and is worth climbing for a perspective on the dominance of the larger pyramid, not to mention the best photos of the whole Teotihuacán complex.
The Plaza de la Luna, just in front of the pyramid, is a handsome arrangement of 12 temple platforms. Some experts attribute astronomical symbolism to the total number of 13 (made up of the 12 platforms plus the pyramid), a key number in the day-counting system of the Mesoamerican ritual calendar. The altar in the plaza’s center is thought to have been the site of religious dancing.
