Museums The
Centro Cultural de Santo Domingo occupies the former monastery buildings attached to Santo Domingo church, and were restored in 1996 and considered to be one of the best restoration works in Latin America. Some important artifacts from Monte Albán are displayed here. In the center of the Centro Cultural, there is a courtyard with a fountain and a very large staircase. The passages along the courtyard have vaulted ceilings,
cupolas, and intricate corridors. Much of the Centro Cultural is occupied by the
Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca (Museum of Oaxacan Cultures), whose entrance is the one pilgrims used to use to enter the church area of the complex. The 2006 political crisis led to the founding of several art collectives that use printmaking, muralism, and street art to address social issues. By the late 2010s, at least 10 to 20 active printmaking workshops operated throughout the city, with printmaking talleres dotting many city blocks.
Festivals and traditions Guelaguetza The Guelaguetza, also known as the Fiestas de los Lunes del Cerro (Festivals of Mondays at the Hill), is a significant cultural event in the city with origins in pre-Hispanic times. The "Hill" is the Cerro del Fortín, which was the scene of the annual rites to the goddess
Centeótl, or goddess of the corn. The hill had a
teocalli, or sacred plaza, built by the Aztecs. The ritual would end with the sacrifice of a young maiden chosen to represent the goddess. The event developed from a
Dominican Christmas tradition, when they would have a large dinner on the night of 23 December. To decorate the tables, indigenous servants of the monks would carve radishes and adorn them with flowers and other plants. This led to 23 December, which is known as the Night of the Radishes. This led to a special market on this day, selling radishes along with two other popular Christmas plants, the Flor Inmortal (immortal flower) and corn husks. This market has grown into a significant cultural event and is now sponsored by the city, which fills the main square on that day. The day also includes a competition in which radish creations are judged on originality, technical skill, and beauty. As the Mixtec feared, the Zapotec broke the peace treaty, attacking Monte Albán while the Mixtec slept. The survivors killed their hostage. Later, the body of Donají, decapitated, was found in the Atoyac River. Time passed. One day, a
shepherd came to the place where the river buried Donaji. A fragrant lily flower grew there. Fifteen days later, he returned to find the same flower, still fresh and fragrant in the same place, as if a mysterious force was preserving it. The most notable aspect of Oaxacan cuisine is its variety of
moles, which are a type of complex sauce. Their origins go back to the melding of
Spanish and
Arabic food in Spain. After the
Conquest, New World ingredients such as chile mulato,
miltomate (a small whitish wild tomato), tomatoes, peanuts, avocado leaves, and chocolate were incorporated. While moles can be found in many parts of Mexico, Oaxaca has the greatest variety, including negro (black), colorado (red), coloradito (faint red), chichilo, verde (green), amarillo (yellow), and manchamanteles (lit. 'stainer of tablecloths'). They are sold in markets all over the city as a paste that is combined with water and simmered with a variety of meats. Other notable foods sold in markets include bars of chocolate (primarily used for making hot chocolate), traditional breads, and
chapulines (fried grasshoppers with chile). Street foods include
tlayudas, which are large, slightly crispy corn tortillas piled high with ingredients such as grilled beef (called tasajo), cheese, tomatoes, avocados, onions, etc. Local drinks include those made with water, sugar, and a flavoring such as
aguamiel (honey water), trocitos de melón (melon),
horchata (rice), tuna batida (cactus fruit shake), and nuez (nuts), as well as local fruits such as
chilacayota and
guanábana. In nearby
Tlacolula and
Ejutla, an indigenous drink called
tejate is still prepared and sold in the local market. Known here as the drink of the gods, it is prepared with corn,
cacao, cacao flower, and the seed of the
mamey fruit. As for alcoholic beverages, this area prefers
mezcal, which like
tequila is made from
agave, but unlike tequila can be made from a variety of different species of the plant. As in other areas in Mexico,
chocolate has had special importance here since long before the Conquest. Aside from being a foodstuff, it was also used as medicine, and cacao seeds were used as money. The chocolate prepared in this city is well known within Mexico, as it is distinguished by being flavored with
cinnamon,
almonds, and sugar, and is usually prepared with hot water or milk, served in large coffee cups with a local sweet roll. ==Notable people==