A Virtual Tour of Cultural Mexico

• Week 1: Mexico City
  Discover one of the oldest cities in the Americas. Mexico City boasts four UNESCO World Heritage sites and more than 650 museums that appeal to all interests and tastes; from the renowned Museum of Anthropology to buildings proudly displaying extraordinary murals by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. We’ll explore the canals and floating gardens of Xochimilco, as well as one of the most powerful cultural centres in Mesoamerica, the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan.
• Week 2:  Central Mexico and Veracruz
  We explore the 16^th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatepetl, Cuernavaca, the ruins of Xochicalco, and the magnificent Spanish colonial architecture of Puebla and Cholula and Tlaxcala. We then travel to the state of Veracruz, which played an important part in the Spanish conquest by Hernán Cortés of the Aztec empire. Here we explore the historical port city of Veracruz, Xalapa, Papantla and the magnificent Totonac ruins of El Tajin.
• Week 3: Treasures of the Sierra Madre
  A visit to the colonial cities of Mexico will transport you to a world where traditions endure and romance thrives. We explore Querétaro, the 18^th-century Franciscan missions of Sierra Gorda, the city of Morelia, artistic town of San Miquel de Allende, lively Guadalajara, the agave landscapes of Tequila, the silver mining towns of Guanajuato and Zacatecas and the ghost town of Real de Catorce in San Luis Potosí.
• Week 4: Oaxaca
  Oaxaca is the most diverse state in Mexico. We will explore the historic centre of Oaxaca; the pre-Hispanic archaeological sites of Monte Albán, Mitla and Yagul; and the artisan villages of Ocotlan, San Bartolo Coyotepec, San Martin de Tilcajete, Santa Maria Atzompa, Santa Maria del Tule, Santo Tomas Jalitzea, Tlacochahuaya and Tlacolula. On the Pacific coast, we’ll visit the beaches of Huatulco, Puerto Escondido and Zipolite, along with Mazuynte, the centre of giant sea turtles.
• Week 5: Lands of the Maya
  The Maya is probably the best-known of the classical civilizations of Mesoamerica. We will explore the ancient Mayan cities of Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Cobá, Tulum, Edzná and Calakmul on the Yucatán Peninsula, and the fascinating ruins of Toniná, Palenque, Yaxchilán and Bonampak in the jungles of Chiapas. The Maya people of today have intermixed their traditional beliefs with Christianity to provide one of the world's most unique samples of living syncretism in San Cristóbal de las Casas, San Juan de Chamula and Zinacantán in the highlands of Chiapas.
• Week 6: The Day of the Dead
  Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a holiday celebrated in many parts of the world, typically on November 1, All Saint’s Day and November 2, All Soul’s Day. In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is a prominent, national holiday with ancient Mesoamerican roots. The emphasis is on honouring the lives of the deceased and celebrating the continuation of life; that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Appreciate the diverse heritage of Mexico and the natural, historical, cultural and architectural influences in its cities and countryside
• Identify several UNESCO World Heritage sites throughout Mexico
• Gain useful insights for travellers to Mexico

• Participation in Zoom lectures
• Supplementary online resources
• Participation in written discussions with other students
• Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)

No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.