Folk Art in Teotitlan del Valle
This is possibly the prettiest village in the east side of the valley. There is a remarkable church with authentic art subjects from the XVI century. The village has proudly made a community museum that exhibits some of the large-sized stone carvings from their ancient city as well as early looms, wheels and instruments used to manufacture the fine rugs that the village is most famous for.
Numerous families in the village are dedicated to weaving rugs and other woolen garments. Some are better know than others and it's nice to visit family homes/studios to see the process of how they are made. Many still use the traditional techniques of carding and spinning their own wool, then dying it with natural colors and finally weaving on solid-wood looms.
Entrance Fee to the Community Museum Open daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Templo de la Natividad de Teotitlan del Valle
This is a great building in the Eastern valley and near the large town of Tlacolula. While the village is mostly visited for its colorful rug market, this church has amazing cultural details not to be missed. The building itself today lies above the foundations of a pre-Columbian Zapotec Temple that part of is well kept and fenced off in the back part but all over the front facade and patio you can see original carved pieces from that older Temple. The interior has several colonial altars in situ and characteristic flower-shaped wax candles decorate the entire aisle making it so colorful and unique.
