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Historical Center
Ciudad Oaxaca de Juárez (Oaxaca City)
In 1532 the city was given the royal title of “Noble and Loyal City of Antequera” by the King of Spain, Charles V. In 1821 the name was changed to Oaxaca, which is derived from the Náhuatl word huáxyacac, whose roots are huaxin (guaje), an acacia-like tree that produces an edible seed, and yacalt (summit / nose / tip / point). Together they are translated as “the nose or point of the guajes.” In 1872, after the death of the State's native son, Benito Juarez (Benemérito de las Américas), the city changed its name to Ciudad Oaxaca de Juárez. Oaxaca City is only four and a half hours from Mexico City via the new highway. Currently, around a quarter of a million inhabitants live in the capital city of Oaxaca.

The Historical Center
In 1987 the Historical Center of Oaxaca City was declared part of the Cultural Heritage of Mankind by UNESCO. It owes its renown to the beauty and harmony of its architecture, the wealth of its cultural traditions, the extensive variety of regionally typical food found here, and to the temperate gentleness of its spring-like weather.

Instituto Oaxaqueño de las Artesanías (antes ARIPO)

The Oaxacan State Government fosters the manufacture of handmade crafts through the Handicrafts Institute of Oaxaca, better known as ARIPO, whose main responsibilities are the promotion and organization of local crafts and the commercial development of them.

With this venture in mind they offer to businesses from all over the world the services of secure storage and the packaging of goods of optimum quality at a good price. ARIPO suggests the most secure and affordable means of shipping according to each destination; they also facilitate exportation and billing. The main center in Oaxaca City is on 809 García Vigil.

 

The Macedonio Alcalá Tourist Walkway
This street is neatly paved with rectangular cantera (quarry-stone). It was closed to vehicular traffic and converted into a pedestrian walkway in 1985. The street is flanked by colonial buildings such as those that hold the Public Library, the Monte de Piedad (pawn shop), the Museum of Contemporary Art, the former State of Oaxaca Institute of Sciences and Arts Building (today part of the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez), and diverse shops, restaurants, and craft stores.

 

The Church and Ex-convent of Santo Domingo
The Church of Santo Domingo opened for worship in 1608 and is one of the best examples of baroque architecture in Mexico. The genealogical tree of Santo Domingo de Guzmán (founder of the Order) is outstanding. It is done in gilded and polychrome plasterwork upon the ceiling of the sotacoro (the area under a raised choir). The arched vault of the main nave is also spectacular and has thirty-six paintings depicting passages from both the Old and the New Testament. Oaxacan artists rebuilt the splendid, gilt baroque retable in 1959. The eighteenth-century Capilla del Rosario (annexed to the church) is an architectural jewel dedicated to the Virgin of the same name. Within it there are paintings of the Virgin and of Christ. The joyful, painful, and glorious “mysteries” of the rosary are depicted upon the walls of the church, and upon the ceiling of the choir.

Today the ex-convent houses an excellent museum run by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). It has often hosts folk art exhibits and has an ethno-botanical garden that has tours in both Spanish and English.

The Arches of Xochimilco
This beautiful colonial haven is located to the north of the Centro Histórico of the city. It takes its name from a group of arches that run for approximately 300 meters and formed part of the San Felipe Aqueduct, and from a narrow cobbled lane that passes alongside them and goes to the old barrio of Xochimilco.

The San Felipe Aqueduct was built during the middle of the eighteenth century and provided water to Oaxaca City until early 1941. The remnants of the aqueduct start in nearby San Felipe and then pass through Xochimilco, but not before crossing the Jalatlaco River at the place called “Pozas Arcas” or “La Cascada,” where the stonework exemplifies the maximum technical engineering skills of the time. The vestiges of the aqueduct end in a corner of the atrium of the Church of Carmen Alto in a cistern that retains the terminal date of the work: 1751.

The Macedonio Alcalá Theatre
This beautiful building dates from the beginning of the twentieth century and preserves the Francophile sentiments in vogue at the time. Originally there was a casino annexed to the theatre. The principal access to the theatre is through a lobby built in the Louis XV-style, which has a staircase of white marble and walls of the same color with insets showing musical and poetical allegories. The Triumph of Art is represented on the ceiling of the main room.
The State Public Library
This building dates from the eighteenth century and is another fine example of Oaxacan colonial architecture. Its interior consists of three patios surrounded by arcaded corridors on both the ground and upper floors, which communicate with the rooms. It currently is the headquarters of the State Library, which was created by decree on 26 August 1825. 		 
The Zócalo
Juan Peláez de Berrio laid out the Plaza de la Constitución, better known as the Zócalo in 1529. Later, Alonso García Bravo used it as a reference point while laying out the main urban grid of the Villa of Antequera (now Oaxaca City). During colonial times the Zócalo was neither paved nor had benches; a marble fountain was erected in 1739. In 1857 this fountain was removed to make way for the first kiosk, which was replaced in 1901 with the current modernist or art nouveau kiosk. The Zócalo is decorated for street fiestas held for the city's teeming populace, especially for 23 December (the night of the Radish Festival), 24 December (Christmas Eve), and 15 September (the Grito de Dolores). At night you can enjoy musical events that are offered on one night by the local band ensemble (brass, drums, etc.) and on the next night by the State Marimba Band.
The Alameda de León
In 1576 Viceroy Martín Enríquez donated two lots to the City Council of Antequera so they could build a municipal palace. However, no such building was built upon them. One of the lots was sold to a private individual and the other one, today the Alameda de León, became the potters' market, known as the Plazuela de Cantaros. The governor of the state, General Antonio de León, lived in front of this small plaza. In a conversation with his secretary, Benito Juárez, the idea arose of transforming it into a garden. The project was carried out in 1840 and a small replica of the Alameda of Mexico City was built. The new garden was inaugurated 13 October 1843 and named Alameda de León in honor of its founder.
The Central University Building
In 1848 a seminary school occupied the building. Then it became the celebrated Institute of Sciences. It was reconstructed between 1899 and 1901 in the European romantic style, an academic architectural style that flourished in the first half of the nineteenth century in Europe. In Oaxaca we received this influence at the end of the century during the Porfirio Díaz regime. Currently it is occupied by the School of Law and Social Sciences, a library, the main office of the Indigenous Theater, and the University Gym.
Plaza de la Danza and Jardín Socrates
The Church of Soledad's old plaza was transformed into a public garden in 1881 and was named Jardín Socrates. The garden was remodeled in 1981: flagstones were laid, installations for stalls were placed, and public bathrooms were installed. The plaza is located at the foot of Fortín Hill (previously called De La Soledad or Del Calvario). It forms part of the Church of Soledad and the Church of San José and their convents complex. The staggered squares form three different settings: the atrium of Soledad, the Jardín Socrates, and the Plaza de la Danza. In 1959 Eduardo Vasconcelos built the uppermost terrace, the Plaza de la Danza, for the artistic edification and public use of the town. This is where the Bani Stui Gulal (repetition of antiquity) takes place, which is a representation of the history of the Guelaguetza during all of its different periods. The square is paved with cantera and takes advantage of the natural slope of the land for the stairways that connect it with the lower terraces.		  
The Llano Park
Paseo Juárez (El Llano) is one of the oldest and largest parks in the Centro Histórico. General Morelos created it to commemorate the civic-religious festival that celebrated the victory of the Movement of Independence. In 1894 a monument with a statue of Benito Juárez was placed in the park. The monument is characterized by its nationalist style of architecture. During the middle of the twentieth century the park served as zoo, which was closed in 1970, the year that the park was redesigned as it is at present. The park is located in the northwestern part of the Centro Histórico, in front of the Church of Guadalupe. El Llano is approximately 250 meters long and 75 meters wide. It has gardens, walkways, benches, and four large fountains. 		 
Ex Government Palace
The Ex Government Palace is on the southern side of the Zócalo. It is constructed in a Doric style and presently houses different government offices. At the top of the main staircase there is an impressive mural by the Mexican muralist Arturo García Bustos. The mural depicts historical and mythical events of Oaxaca City. The images are either realistic or imaginative in appearance. Among the images there are some of local celebrities who supported the arts and others who worked in politics.
Handicrafts Market
This craft market is located on the corner of J.P. García and Zaragoza streets. It is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and has 123 stalls that sell clothing typical of the diverse regions of the state. It is two blocks south of the 20 de Noviembre Marketplace.
Mercado 20 de Noviembre
This market is located in the heart of the city, just to the south of the Mercado Benito Juárez Maza. It has many small restaurants specializing in typical Oaxacan dishes (chicken mole with rice, tamales wrapped in banana leaves, menudo, etc). It is bordered by Aldama, Miguel Cabrera, Mina, and 20 de Noviembre. To its left is the Church of San Juan de Dios, which is built upon the site of the first hermitage built in Oaxaca and dedicated to Santa Catalina de Alexandria in 1526.
   
 

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