Imibhoshongo Ecijile YaseMexico

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EMEXICO

ABANTU abaningi namuhla bayayazi imibhoshongo ecijile yaseGibithe. NaseMelika, abavubukuli baye bathola izakhiwo eziningi ezinjengemibhoshongo ecijile, ikakhulukazi eMexico. Njengemibhoshongo yaseGibithe, imibhoshongo yaseMexico inamakhulu eminyaka ikhona futhi inezimfihlakalo eziningi.

Umbhoshongo ocijile waseGibithe uyingcwaba elivalwe ngenqwaba yamatshe amakhulu abekwe ngobunono. Imihume engaphakathi iholela engcwabeni, okuyiyona ngxenye ebaluleke kakhulu yombhoshongo. Kodwa-ke, umbhoshongo ocijile waseMexico uyinqwaba yenhlabathi enethempeli esiqongweni nezitebhisi ezingaphandle abantu abangafinyelela ngazo esiqongweni. Imibhoshongo eyatholakala eMelika yayingewona amangcwaba, ngaphandle nje kwembalwa.

ITeotihuacán—“Umuzi Wawonkulunkulu”

Enye yezindawo zemibhoshongo evelele eMexico yiTeotihuacán. Njengoba ingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-50 enyakatho-mpumalanga yeMexico City, iTeotihuacán iseyimpicabadala ezazini zendabuko yabantu nakubavubukuli. Lo muzi wasendulo washiywa abakhi bawo eminyakeni engaba ngu-500 ngaphambi kokuba kuvele umphakathi wama-Aztec. Igama elithi Teotihuacán, elivela olimini lwesiNahuatl, lisho ukuthi “Umuzi Wawonkulunkulu” noma “Lapho Abantu Bephenduka Khona Onkulunkulu.” Kucatshangwa ukuthi ama-Aztec awetha leli gama lo muzi lapho ewuvakashele.

Omunye wabahleli bakamagazini i-National Geographic, uGeorge Stuart, uchaza ukuthi “iTeotihuacan yayiwumuzi wokuqala wesimanje eNtshonalanga Nenkabazwe . . . Yasungulwa cishe ekuqaleni kwenkathi yobuKristu, yahlala amakhulu eminyaka ayisikhombisa, yabe isinyamalala. Ngesikhathi sokuvelela kwayo, cishe ngo-A.D. 500, kulinganiselwa ukuthi yayinezakhamuzi ezingu-125 000 kuya ku-200 000.”

Cishe enkabeni yalo muzi kunoMbhoshongo Welanga omkhulu. Unesisekelo esingaba amamitha angu-220 ububanzi nangu-225 ubude, futhi izitezi zawo ezinhlanu zingamamitha angu-63 ukuphakama. Ukuze afinyelele esiqongweni salo mbhoshongo, umuntu kumelwe akhuphuke izitebhisi ezingaphezu kuka-240. Ngasenyakatho yalo muzi wasendulo kunoMbhoshongo Wenyanga, onesiqongo esingamamitha angu-40 ukuphakama. Kwakunamathempeli eziqongweni zale mibhoshongo emibili eyinhloko.

Kuningi okuye kwafundwa ngale mibhoshongo emashumini eminyaka amuva nje. Nokho, njengoba uStuart esho, “asikazi lutho ngemvelaphi yabaseTeotihuacan, ukuthi babekhuluma luphi ulimi, indlela umphakathi wabo owawuhlelwe ngayo, nokuthi baqedwa yini.”

Ezinye Izindawo Ezinemibhoshongo

Enkabeni yeMexico City umuntu angavakashela iThempeli Elikhulu Lama-Aztec. Nakuba kungabonakali mbhoshongo, umuntu usengakwazi ukubona amanxiwa ombhoshongo owawuyisisekelo seThempeli Elikhulu. Abavubukuli baye bathola ama-altare amabili okwakwenziwa kuwo imihlatshelo ngabantu.

IChichén Itzá ingenye yezindawo zemibhoshongo ezivakashelwa kakhulu eMexico. Kunamanxiwa amaningi asendulo endaweni yamaMaya, kodwa kulula kakhulu ukufinyelela kuwo ngoba aseduze kwedolobha laseMérida, eYucatán. Nakuba zakhiwe endaweni yamaMaya, lezi zakhiwo zibonisa ukuthi amaToltec ayephethe kule ndawo. Ezinye  izakhiwo zibonisa ukuthi abakhi babenolwazi olunzulu lwezibalo nezinkanyezi.

EPalenque, izivakashi ziyothola isikhungo esihlaba umxhwele samaMaya esizungezwe yihlathi laseChiapas. Phakathi kwaleyo mibhoshongo nezakhiwo eziningi, kuneSigodlo neThempeli Lemibhalo Eqoshiwe. IThempeli Lemibhalo Eqoshiwe “lingelinye lamathempeli odumo kuyo yonke iMesoamerica ngoba lalingesona nje isisekelo sethempeli njengawo wonke amanye, kodwa laliyitshe lesikhumbuzo somngcwabo,” kuchaza incwadi ethi The Mayas—3000 Years of Civilization. “Ngaphakathi kunezitebhisi ezinomhume eziholela phakathi emgedeni wokungcwaba omuhle kunayo yonke eyake yatholakala endaweni yamaMaya.” Leli ngcwaba lakhelwa umbusi owayephila ekhulwini lesi-7 leminyaka—uPacal, noma u-Uoxoc Ahau.

Lena ngeminye nje yemibhoshongo ecijile yaseMexico. Amanye amanxiwa nemibhoshongo kungatholakala ezindaweni eziningi ezweni lonke. Kukhona nemibhoshongo ecijile emikhulu eGuatemala naseHonduras. Zonke lezi zakhiwo zasendulo zibonisa ukuthi izakhamuzi zaseMesoamerica zazifuna ukwakha izindawo zazo zokukhulekela ezindaweni eziphakeme. UWalter Krickeberg, umlobi wencwadi ethi Las Antiguas Culturas Mexicanas, wabhala: “Umkhuba wokwakha amathempeli esisekelweni esinezitebhisi uhlehlela emuva emkhubeni wasendulo wokukhulekela izindawo eziphakeme.” Uyanezela: “Nakuba sibheka izulu ‘njengomhume,’ kwabanye abantu lalimelela intaba ilanga elalikhuphuka ngayo ekuseni bese lehla kusihlwa; yingakho amagquma ayo enezitebhisi njengesakhiwo esikhulu. Ngakho, le ‘ntaba yokwenziwa’ . . . yaguqulwa umbhoshongo onezitebhisi, futhi njengoba kusho izinganekwane namasiko, yaphendulwa uphawu lwezulu phakathi kwabantu abaningi baseMesoamerica.”

Lo mqondo ungase ukhumbuze abafundi beBhayibheli ngokulandisa kweBhayibheli okuphathelene noMbhoshongo WaseBabele, owawuseduze komuzi kamuva okwathiwa iBabiloni. Ekhuluma ngabakhi balo mbhoshongo, uGenesise 11:4 uthi: “Bathi: ‘Wozani, asakhe umuzi nombhoshongo osiqongo sawo sisezulwini, sizenzele igama.’” Eduze namanxiwa aseBabiloni, abavubukuli baye bathola imibhoshongo ecijile eyaziwa ngokuthi ama-ziggurat.

Indlela yokukhulekela eyaqala eBabiloni yasakazekela ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba, ngokunokwenzeka yafinyelela endaweni eyaziwa ngokuthi iMexico. Ngeke kube yisimanga uma ama-ziggurat aseBabiloni kanye nenkolo eyayikhona lapho kwaba yizibonelo zemibhoshongo emikhulu yaseMexico eyimpicabadala.

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ITeotihuacán

[Umthombo]

CNCA.-INAH.-MEX Reproducción Autorizada por el Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia

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IPalenque