The entire pueblo of Teotitlán, Mexico is filled with color. Brightly colored Zapotec rugs hang on the walls, covered with geometric symbols. Wool strands in various states of dyeing are strung from the rafters, the tones a distinguisher of how much longer they must wait to be woven into a design. Even the buildings of Teotitlán are colorful, with intricately painted tiles hidden among the brick and mortar.
Teotitlán is a place of deep and rich history, and home to many of the world’s greatest artisans. The birthplace of the traditional weaving style so often associated with Mexico, Teotitlán is truly the best place in the world to learn more about this incredible art form.
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A Brief History of Teotitlán
The story of Teotilán begins with the Zapotec people, an indigenous people of Southern Mexico and concentrated in the state of Oaxaca.
Teotitlán is one of the oldest pueblos in Mexico’s Central Valley, dating back to 1465. Originally named Xaquija, the site was a sacred place for the Zapotecs. According to research done by Manual Martínez Gracida, Teotitlán was home to a large stone that had been split in half, an idol of the Zapotecs they referred to as “The Stone of the Sun.” It was believed that a god came from the heavens in the form of a bird, accompanied by a constellation of stars to found a temple. To this day, the name Teotitlán reflects this story, with its new name meaning “land of the gods” in Nahuatl.
Teotitlán was refounded as a Spanish village in 1527, and walking the streets one can clearly see the contrast at play. La Iglesia Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, the main church off the central plaza, is an example of both Spanish and Zapotec architecture side by side. The deep history of Teotitlán is evident at every turn, but perhaps nothing more so than in their traditional textiles.
The History of Zapotec Rugs
Weaving had been a large part of life in Teotitlán long before Spanish inquisition. For centuries, the people of Teotitlán wove beautiful textiles, or “laadi” as they are called in the traditional language, using backstrap looms and cotton yarn. Under Montezuma’s empire, the village of Teotitlán would send 400 measures of embroidered cloth and 800 measures of large blankets to Tenochtitlan every three months as a tax.
The spinning wheel as we now know it was introduced to the village in 1535, shipped from the shores of Spain, with the arrival of the Dominican bishop Juan López Dezárate. Dezárate also brought sheep with him, introducing the villagers to a new material in which to create sturdy, heavy-duty textiles. With these new materials on hand, textile creation in Teotitlán flourished. For centuries, Teotitlán sold and traded rugs with other towns throughout the state of Oaxaca, and with the introduction of the Pan-American highway in the 1940s, connecting Teotitlán to Mexico city, the beautiful Zapotec rugs became a commodity throughout Mexico.
These days, textiles continue to be made in the traditional fashion and the craft is passed down through generations. Many artisans have been making blankets, tapetes (rugs), and serapes (a traditional poncho) since they were children, taught by their parents and grandparents. The creation of textiles is not a gendered activity, as the entire family takes part in the multi-step process necessary to create these beautiful textiles. The resulting textiles have gained recognition across the globe, sharing the stories of the Zapotec people with the world.
Zapotec Symbolism in Traditional Textiles
No textile created in Teotitlán is without a deeper meaning and an element of storytelling. The geometric symbols woven into the rugs all hold meanings rooted in Zapotec spirituality, culture, and history, and are often created from the memory of the artist. Here are a few symbols I noticed quite frequently on my trip to Teotitlán.
Common Symbols in Zapotec Textiles
Ojo de Dios (God’s Eye): This symbol was everywhere on textiles in Teotitlán, whether a focal point or a smaller addition to a design. This symbol represents the importance and power of seeing the unseen stands as a sign of divinity and protection.
Pyramids: The capital of the Zapotec people, Monte Alban, is home to many geometric pyramids of a similar shape. This symbol represents the center of politics, economy, and life that took place at Monte Alban.
Mountains: With their capital nestled in Oaxaca’s Central Valley, mountains were a daily part of life for the Zapotec people. Mountains are also regularly shown with a symbol for rain, recognizing the importance of rain for the survival of the people.
Sacred Necklace: Historically, the Zapotec people made necklaces with local crops, such as beans and corn. Necklaces in Zapotec imagery stand as a thank you to the gods for many blessings.
Interlocking Spirals: These geometric spirals demonstrate the life cycle as believed by the Zapotec people. The spiral stands for the different stages of life–birth, youth, adulthood, death, and finally the next world.
Lightning: As a people based in the mountains, the Zapotecs were often referred to as the “cloud people.” One of their most important gods was Cocijo, god of thunder, lightening, and rain, elements the Zapotec people experienced on the daily. This zig zag symbol of lightning thus pays tribute to the god Cocijo.
Agave: Abundant in the world around them, agave was an important part of life to the Zapotec people. The plant not only provides food, but can also be fermented and turned into the local alcohol, mezcal.
Check out this article for even more information on Zapotec symbolism and imagery.
Creating the Colors For Zapotec Rugs
One of the most notable elements of Zapotec tapetes is the bright colors of each rug. Though these days you can find knock-off Mexican-style rugs made with synthetic colors, in the traditional style all colors are created naturally, and are no less vibrant than anything created artificially. The variety of colors using natural ingredients demonstrates the innovation and creativity these artisans have held for centuries, and some of the forms in which to create colors might surprise you.
Common Colors in Zapotec Weaving
Reds are perhaps some of the most extraordinary. Made by crushing up the bodies of dried cochineal bugs, a small, white parasite that feeds on cacti, the creation of red dye simply leaves me thinking, “how on earth did they figure that out?”
Yellow is usually obtained in one of two ways. The first is less surprising, obtained by using the leaves of a small yellow flower known as the wild tarragon. The second was less predictable–obtained using the husk of a pomegranate, the color changing depending on the maturity of the fruit when harvested.
Orange and tan hues are traditionally acquired by boiling the shells of pecan nuts. The rug that I purchased was in shades of orange and tan, and the artisan gave me pecans from the same tree to take with me. Different shades can be acquired by how many times the wool is dyed.
Green can be created from alfalfa leaves, a tiny herb known for its multivitamins that is often consumed by livestock, or sometimes as a garnish by humans.
Blue is created using indigo dye. The indigo plant grows naturally on the coasts of Oaxaca, but plenty if needed to create color–200 kilograms of plant material to get 1 kilogram of hardened indigo rock.
Pink hues are often created using the bark of alder trees, a birch tree known for its dark and fissured exterior that grows in the montane forests of Central Mexico.
Besides these natural ingredients, artisans utilize the color and texture of the wool they are using to create different hues of a similar color in designs. Darker wool can be used to mute the colors, whereas browner wool can be utilized to add warmth to cooler colors. Additionally, many artisans use a multi-dye process to create different hues, reusing the same dye with different wool to get progressively lighter and lighter shades.
How Zapotec Textiles are Made
As the home of Zapotec weaving, the road leading to Teotitlán del Valle is filled with various textile factories. These factories are generally family-operated, which each member of the family partaking in a part of the process. One of the best places to see this rug-making in action is at Casa Don Juan, a family operated business of over five generations.
To begin, textile makers must sort the sheep’s wool, often sourced from nearby shepherds or a local flock. The wool is matted, tangled and often filled with dirt and dust. The artisans sort the wool by color–white, bown, yellow, and more to utilize in creating different colored textiles.
Next, the wool is washed, traditionally in a nearby river or stream. An artisan from whom we purchased a rug told us that this was her main job as a child–scrubbing and washing the dirt from the wool, sometimes for hours.
Once the wool is washed, it must be brushed and detangled, using a process called carding. Carding uses two bristled paddles to brush through the wool until it is smooth and straight.
Once the wool is washed and brushed, it is ready to be spun into yarn. This process is achieved using a traditional spinning wheel. The wool is fed onto the wheel with your right hand, then quickly twisted by the wheel, winding around the spindle as yarn.
Next, the yarn is sorted by color to be dyed. Artisans can create different tones and shades using one batch of dye simply by changing the color of the wool they are dying.
In order to ensure the yarn holds the color of the dye, it is next boiled in a salt solution, usually for around an hour, and then left to rest for a day before dyeing. This ensures that any impurities in the wool are removed and allows the yarn to absorb the dye.
Once the yarn is ready, it is boiled again with the natural dye ingredients. Sometimes citrus peels or juice are added to the solution to change the color, or multiple ingredients are mixed to achieve a unique shade. The yarn is left in the heated solution until it reaches the desired color.
After dyeing, the wool is removed from the heat and left out to dry, sometimes for up to a day. The dyed yarn is then washed with amole soap, a soap made from the agave plant, and is re-spun onto spindles to be woven.
Finally, the weaving can begin. Artisans arrange the spools of different colors, usually in accordance to a pre-drawn image of the design they wish to create. The textiles are then woven on a foot loom–a type of floor loom characterized by its use of foot pedals to open and close the sheds.
Even once the wool is on the loom, most smaller textiles take at least a week to create. Depending on the pattern and size, some artisans can spend up to 6 months working on one design alone.
Purchasing a Zapotec Rug in Teotitlán del Valle
When purchasing a textile in Teotitlán, remember you’re not just buying another mass-produced tchotchke but an individual, one-of-a-kind work of art. Zapotec textiles have a higher price than many touristy items in Mexican central markets, but come full of stories, history, and hours of labor involved. Not to mention, Teotitlán is one of the most affordable places to purchase a textile and your purchase goes right into the hands of the artists who made it.
Smaller rugs (generally around 5’x3’) generally run for around 2,000 pesos ($100USD) whereas larger area rugs will cost around 10,000-12,000 pesos ($400-$500) Many vendors also offer smaller woven table toppers and even woven coasters for visitors looking for a smaller souvenir.
Buying a textile in Teotitlán is not just about searching for souvenirs, but discovering the stories of those who have made these textiles for centuries. From the earliest Zapotec people thousands of years ago to the families who continue to call this tradition their livelihood, each textile at Teotitlán is woven full of thousands of years of stories.
Visiting Teotitlán del Valle
If you’re interested in visiting Teotitlán del Valle, check out my full travel guide to the pueblo. This guide includes everything you need to know to visit on your own, from how to get to Teotitlán from Oaxaca City to other exciting things to do around the area.
If you’d rather visit Teotitlán with a guide, here are a few highly recommended tours in the region with Teotitlán as a highlight.
🌵 El Tule, Teotitlan Village & Mezcal Tour – Explore the diversity of Oaxaca on this tour, with a stop in Teotitlán.
💧 Hierve el Agua & Teotitlán del Valle – Visit Oaxaca’s petrified waterfall on your way to Teotitlán.
🎨 Arts and Crafts Tour of Oaxaca – Explore 3 unique traditional crafts in Oaxaca, including textiles in Teotitlán.
Whether you visit on your own or in a group, this pueblo is an extraordinary look into the ages old art form of weaving Zapotec textiles. Each tapete has a story, and in Teotitlán you can hear them directly from the mouths of their makers.
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Virginia Taylor (Ginna) is a travel writer and photographer exploring the world until her boots wear through. She’s currently on a mission to explore all 32 departments of Colombia, though she formerly called the Middle East home. Want to know more? Visit the About Page.