Editing Tenochtitlan (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Tenochtitlan.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|left|The western side of the shallow [[Lake Texcoco]]. {{lang|nci|Tenochtitlan|italic=no}} is the southern part of the main island. The northern part is {{lang|nci|[[Tlatelolco (altepetl)|Tlatelolco]]|italic=no}}.]]
{{lang|nci|Tenochtitlan|italic=no}} covered an estimated {{convert|8|to|13.5|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tenochtitlan |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/tenochtitlan/ |access-date=2024-11-04 |website=education.nationalgeographic.org |language=en}}</ref> situated on the western side of the shallow [[Lake Texcoco]].

At the time of Spanish conquests, Mexico City comprised both {{lang|nci|Tenochtitlan|italic=no}} and {{lang|nci|[[Tlatelolco (altepetl)|Tlatelolco]]|italic=no}}. The city extended from north to south, from the north border of {{lang|nci|Tlatelolco|italic=no}} to the [[swamp]]s, which by that time were gradually disappearing to the west; the city ended more or less at the present location of {{lang|es|[[Avenida Bucareli]]|italic=no}}.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

The city was connected to the mainland by bridges and causeways leading to the north, south, and west. The causeways were interrupted by bridges that allowed canoes and other water traffic to pass freely. The bridges could be pulled away, if necessary, to protect the city.<ref>{{cite book|first=Hugh|last=Thomas|page=277|title=The Conquest Of Mexico|year=1994 |publisher=Pimlico |isbn=0-7126-6079-8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Biar |first=Alexandra |date=2021 |title=Navigation Paths and Urbanism in the Basin of Mexico Before the Conquest |journal=Ancient Mesoamerica |volume=34 |pages=104–123 |doi=10.1017/S0956536121000328 |s2cid=244567487 |issn=0956-5361 |via=Cambridge Journals Online}}</ref> The city was interlaced with a series of [[canal]]s, so that all sections of the city could be visited either on foot or via [[canoe]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Hugh|last=Thomas|pages=3–5|title=The Conquest Of Mexico|year=1994 |publisher=Pimlico |isbn=0-7126-6079-8}}</ref>

Lake {{lang|nci|Texcoco|italic=no}} was the largest of five interconnected lakes. Since it formed in an [[endorheic basin]], Lake {{lang|nci|Texcoco|italic=no}} was [[brackish]]. During the reign of [[Moctezuma I]], the "[[levee]] of {{lang|nci|Nezahualcoyotl|italic=no}}" was constructed, reputedly designed by {{lang|nci|[[Nezahualcoyotl (tlatoani)|Nezahualcoyotl]]|italic=no}}. Estimated to be {{convert|12|to|16|km|mi|abbr=on}} in length, the levee was completed {{Circa|1453}}. The levee kept fresh [[spring (hydrosphere)|spring]]-fed water in the waters around {{lang|nci|Tenochtitlan|italic=no}} and kept the brackish waters beyond the dike, to the east.<ref>{{cite book|first=Hugh|last=Thomas|page=493|title=The Conquest Of Mexico|year=1994 |publisher=Pimlico |isbn=0-7126-6079-8}}</ref>

Two double [[chapultepec aqueduct|aqueducts]], each more than {{convert|4|km|mi|abbr=on}} long and made of [[terracotta]],<ref>Cortés, H.</ref> provided the city with fresh water from the springs at {{lang|nci|[[Chapultepec]]|italic=no}}. This was intended mainly for cleaning and washing. For drinking, water from mountain springs was preferred. Most of the population liked to bathe twice a day; {{lang|nah|Moctezuma|italic=no}} was said to take four baths a day. According to the context of Aztec culture in literature, the soap that they most likely used was the root of a plant called {{lang|nci|copalxocotl}} (''[[Saponaria]] americana''),<ref>{{cite book |title=Handbook to life in the Aztec world |last=Aguilar-Moreno |first=Manuel |year=2006 |publisher=[[Infobase Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-8160-5673-6 |page=368 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iT5cww4rQdoC&pg=PA368 |access-date=2 November 2010}}</ref><!-- This species is only mentioned in the context of Aztec culture in literature, probably not accurate. --> and to clean their clothes they used the root of {{lang|nci|metl}} (''[[Agave americana]]''). Also, the upper classes and pregnant women washed themselves in a {{lang|nci|[[temazcal|temāzcalli]]}}, similar to a [[sauna]] bath, which is still used in the south of Mexico. This was also popular in other Mesoamerican cultures.