Homework #6: Regional Metropolises – Constantinople & Tenochtitlan (1160-1521)
Not just big cities, “regional metropolises” usually served as the political, economic,
religious, and cultural center of a large area. Constantinople (in the Mediterranean) and
Tenochtitlan (in Mesoamerica), though a world apart from one another, are examples of
regional metropolises. What were the characteristics of these two great cities? What
do the characteristics tell you about life and activities in these urban areas? Do
they share any common features? Whose interests did the characteristics seem to
serve? Compare/contrast Constantinople and Tenochtitlan with a more modern
urban experience.
The excerpt from Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela shows that Constantinople was a very
religious city because of the importance of the St. Sophia. The St. Sophia, also known as
the Hogia Sophia shows the importance of religion to the people of Constantinople. It
does so because it is so elaborately decorated and ornamented. The great Cue of
Tenochtitlan was similar in that it was an impressive and very important religious site for
their people. However, this “pyramid temple” as Bernal Diaz de Castillo describes it, was
not used for the same types of prayer and worship as the St. Sophia. The St. Sophia was
used by the people of Constantinople as a place to peacefully worship and pay homage to
God, while the great Cue was used as a place to sacrifice human life. The St. Sophia was
built elaborately to inspire people to come and worship God and marvel in his power,
while the great Cue was built so that people would be more fearful. In the city of
Tenochtitlan, there was a statue depicting their god of war. This statue was very large and
very elaborately decorated in gold, silver, pearls and other precious materials. A statue
like this can point to the fact that the people of Tenochtitlan were a violent and embattled
group of people. In Constantinople, it was a predominantly Christian city. It is even
stated by Rabbi Benjamin that no Jews live within the city itself. Instead, they live
outside behind an inlet of the sea. Also, the fact that every year on the birthday of Jesus
of Nazareth there is a public celebration of sorts supports the idea that the city of
Constantinople is a Christian based city. In contrast however, Tenochtitlan only favors
the wealthy people and the servants of Moctezuma. All other people live outside the city
