Tula (Mexico)

Ancient city of the Toltec civilization in central Mexico, 65 km/40 mi northwest of Mexico City, which flourished from about 750 to 1168. At its height, it is thought to have housed a population of around 40,000. The modern town of Tula de Allende is nearby.

The centre of the ruined city consists of a plaza bordered by a lavishly decorated pyramid temple. The site also contains palace complexes and courts for the ritual ball game played throughout ancient Central America. In the 11th century, Toltecs who emigrated from Tula are believed to have settled on the site of the former Mayan city of Chichén Itzá on the Yucatán peninsula, where they put up buildings in the Tula style.