Which ancient civilization built the city of Teotihuacan?

The civilization that built Teotihuacan is unknown because no surviving source securely identifies its founders.

Teotihuacan became one of the largest cities in the ancient Americas, flourishing in the Valley of Mexico roughly between the first and seventh centuries CE. Its builders created a carefully planned urban centre with monumental avenues, apartment compounds, temples, and pyramids.

The city was already abandoned or greatly reduced by the time the Aztecs encountered it centuries later. The Aztecs named it Teotihuacan, commonly translated as “the place where the gods were created,” and connected it with their own sacred traditions. That later name does not prove that the Aztecs built the city.

Archaeologists have found evidence of diverse residents and wide-ranging trade, but the original language, ethnic identity, and political system of Teotihuacan remain debated. Maya inscriptions mention the city, and its influence spread widely, yet neither the Maya nor the Aztecs can be credited as its builders.