Tula (Otomi: Mämeni) is a Mesoamerican archeological site, which was an important regional center which reached its height as the capital of the Toltec Empire between the fall of Teotihuacan and the rise of Tenochtitlan.

It has not been well studied in comparison to these other two sites, and disputes remain as to its political system, area of influence and its relations with contemporary Mesoamerican cities, especially with Chichen Itza.

The main attraction is the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl, which is topped by four 4-metre-high (13 ft) basalt columns carved in the shape of Toltec warriors.

The Tula site is important to the history of Mesoamerica, especially the central highlands of Mexico, but it is generally overshadowed by its predecessor Teotihuacan and one of its successors, Tenochtitlan.

The inhabitants of Tula were called Toltecs, but that term was later broadened to mean an urban person, artisan or skilled worker.

This was due to the high respect in which the indigenous peoples in the Valley of Mexico held the ancient civilization before the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.

The Orientation center also contains a number of archeological pieces as well as posters and more explaining the site's importance and relation to the rest of Mesoamerica.

[5] The ceremonial center of the city is located on a limestone outcropping, with steep banks on three sides, making it defensible.

[5] War and sacrifice are prominent themes at the site with images representing warriors such as jaguars and coyotes as well as eagles eating human hearts.

On three sides, there are long meeting halls with ceilings supported by columns all facing the plaza with over 1000 meters of benches, which have stone reliefs depicting warriors and others in procession.

Tula was probably settled by people of various ethnic backgrounds which may have included the Nonoalcas and the Chichimecas from the south and north respectively.

The constructions at Tula Chico are smaller than those in other Epiclassic sites, and was probably a minor player in the political and economic activity of the time.

[2] The city at its height probably covered 14 km2 with a population of about 60,000 with another 20,000 to 25,000 in the surrounding 1000 km2, dominated by the ceremonial center of Tula Grande.

[1][2] Urban and rural house units indicated the importance of extended family groups but the scale of these seemed to have become smaller over time.

Excavations in the area have found evidence of the cultivation of chili peppers, amaranth, squash and maguey along with corn and beans.

[1] It has been proposed that the area received more rainfall during the Classic period than now which may have allowed for more large scale agricultural production without irrigation.

This moved Chichimecas south from their drying homelands creating ethnic strife which eventually resulted in the city's collapse.

[1][5] According to Bernardino de Sahagún, craftspeople were still found in Tula at the time of the conquest including scribes, stonecutters, masons, feather workers, potters and more.

[6] Several misconceptions about the site include that it has no system of avenues, was relatively poor, had no walled residential complexes and had only small mound clusters.

The god is linked to a legendary ruler of Tula, Ce Acatl Quetzacoatl, who was often simply referred to as Quetzalcoatl.

Mythological accounts surrounding the fall of Tula have this ruler succumbing to temptation by a dark deity named Tezcatlipoca, causing the destruction of the city.

[2][3] The history of the city remained important up through the Aztec Empire and is reported in the codices written after the Spanish conquest.

[6] The stories either portray Tula as a kind of paradise in which the inhabitants master the sciences and arts or a city filled with strife headed for a downfall.