Mérida, Yucatán
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'''Mérida''' ({{IPA|es|ˈmeɾiða|-|MeridaPronunciation.ogg}}; {{langx|yua|Joꞌ}}){{cite web |title=Diccionario Maya-Español |url=https://www.mayas.uady.mx/diccionario/j_maya.html |website=Yucatán: Identidad y Cultura Maya |publisher=Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán |access-date=October 9, 2024 }} is the capital of the [[List of states of Mexico|Mexican state]] of [[Yucatán]], and the largest city in southern [[Mexico]]. The city is also the seat of the [[Mérida Municipality|eponymous municipality]]. It is located slightly inland from the northwest corner of the [[Yucatán Peninsula]], about {{cvt|35|km|mi}} from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. In 2020, it had a population of 921,770 while its metropolitan area, which also includes the cities of [[Kanasín]] and [[Umán]], had a population of 1,316,090.{{Cite web |title=Mérida en la region de Yucatán – Municipio y presidencia municipal de México – presidencia municipal México – Información presidencia municipal, ciudades y pueblos de México |url=https://www.los-municipios.mx/municipio-merida.html |access-date=May 5, 2021 |website=www.los-municipios.mx }} |
'''Mérida''' ({{IPA|es|ˈmeɾiða|-|MeridaPronunciation.ogg}}; {{langx|yua|Joꞌ}}){{cite web |title=Diccionario Maya-Español |url=https://www.mayas.uady.mx/diccionario/j_maya.html |website=Yucatán: Identidad y Cultura Maya |publisher=Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán |access-date=October 9, 2024 }} is the capital of the [[List of states of Mexico|Mexican state]] of [[Yucatán]], and the largest city in southern [[Mexico]]. The city is also the seat of the [[Mérida Municipality|eponymous municipality]]. It is located slightly inland from the northwest corner of the [[Yucatán Peninsula]], about {{cvt|35|km|mi}} from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. In 2020, it had a population of 921,770 while its metropolitan area, which also includes the cities of [[Kanasín]] and [[Umán]], had a population of 1,316,090.{{Cite web |title=Mérida en la region de Yucatán – Municipio y presidencia municipal de México – presidencia municipal México – Información presidencia municipal, ciudades y pueblos de México |url=https://www.los-municipios.mx/municipio-merida.html |access-date=May 5, 2021 |website=www.los-municipios.mx }} |
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Mérida is also the cultural and financial capital of the Yucatán Peninsula. The city's rich cultural heritage is a product of the [[syncretism]] of the [[Maya civilization|Maya]] and [[Culture of Spain|Spanish cultures]] during the colonial era. The [[Cathedral of Mérida, Yucatán]] was built in the late 16th century with stones from [[Ti'ho|nearby Maya ruins]] and is the oldest cathedral in the mainland Americas. |
Mérida is also the cultural and financial capital of the Yucatán Peninsula. The city's rich cultural heritage is a product of the [[syncretism]] of the [[Maya civilization|Maya]] and [[Culture of Spain|Spanish cultures]] during the colonial era. The [[Cathedral of Mérida, Yucatán]] was built in the late 16th century with stones from [[Ti'ho|nearby Maya ruins]] and is the oldest cathedral in the mainland Americas. The city has the third largest old town district on the continent.{{Cite web |title=Centro Histórico Mérida – Mérida Mexico Real Estate |url=http://propertypros.mx/centro-historico-merida/ |date=February 22, 2016 |access-date=September 11, 2022 |website=Property Pros Mx Real Estate }} It was the first city to be named [[American Capital of Culture]], and the only city that has received the title twice.{{Cite web |last=Poling |first=Monica |title=Merida Chosen American Capital of Culture 2017 |url=https://ca.travelpulse.com/news/features/merida-chosen-american-capital-of-culture-2017.html |date=January 25, 2016 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |website=Travel Pulse Canada }} |
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Mérida is among the safest cities of Mexico as well as in the Americas.{{Cite web |title=Down Mérida way: homebuyers flock to Mexico's safest city |url=https://www.ft.com/content/0b2daff8-e542-44f9-80eb-cf5e8510f633 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/0b2daff8-e542-44f9-80eb-cf5e8510f633 |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |date=April 12, 2022 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |website=Financial Times }} In 2015, the city was certified as an International Safe Community by the [[Karolinska Institute]] of Sweden for its high level of public security.{{Cite web |title=Merida ISCCC |url=https://isccc.global/community/merida/338 |date=2015 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |website=International Safe Community Certifying Centre }} ''[[Forbes]]'' has ranked Mérida three times as one of the three best cities in Mexico to live, invest and do business.{{Cite web |last=Durán |first=Guadalupe |title=Merida Tops Forbes List of Best Cities in Mexico |url=https://www.topmexicorealestate.com/blog/2016/04/merida-tops-forbes-list-of-best-cities-in-mexico/ |date=2016 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |website=Top Mexico Real Estate }} In 2022, the [[United Nations Human Settlements Programme|UN-Habitat]]'s City Prosperity Index recognized Mérida as the city with the highest quality of life in Mexico.{{Cite web |title=Study by UN-Habitat, Infonavit ranks Mérida No. 1 for quality of life |url=https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/study-ranks-merida-no-1-for-quality-of-life/ |date=November 10, 2022 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |work=Mexico News Daily }} |
Mérida is among the safest cities of Mexico as well as in the Americas.{{Cite web |title=Down Mérida way: homebuyers flock to Mexico's safest city |url=https://www.ft.com/content/0b2daff8-e542-44f9-80eb-cf5e8510f633 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/0b2daff8-e542-44f9-80eb-cf5e8510f633 |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |date=April 12, 2022 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |website=Financial Times }} In 2015, the city was certified as an International Safe Community by the [[Karolinska Institute]] of Sweden for its high level of public security.{{Cite web |title=Merida ISCCC |url=https://isccc.global/community/merida/338 |date=2015 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |website=International Safe Community Certifying Centre }} ''[[Forbes]]'' has ranked Mérida three times as one of the three best cities in Mexico to live, invest and do business.{{Cite web |last=Durán |first=Guadalupe |title=Merida Tops Forbes List of Best Cities in Mexico |url=https://www.topmexicorealestate.com/blog/2016/04/merida-tops-forbes-list-of-best-cities-in-mexico/ |date=2016 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |website=Top Mexico Real Estate }} In 2022, the [[United Nations Human Settlements Programme|UN-Habitat]]'s City Prosperity Index recognized Mérida as the city with the highest quality of life in Mexico.{{Cite web |title=Study by UN-Habitat, Infonavit ranks Mérida No. 1 for quality of life |url=https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/study-ranks-merida-no-1-for-quality-of-life/ |date=November 10, 2022 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |work=Mexico News Daily }} |
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Modern Mérida has expanded far beyond its original city walls, and many old [[Spanish Colonial architecture|Spanish colonial buildings]] and several old city gates can still be seen in the ''[[Old town|centro histórico]]'', which is among the largest in the Americas. Many large and elaborate homes from the early 20th century still line the main avenue called ''[[Paseo de Montejo]]''. For example, "Las Casas Gemelas" (The Twin Houses) are two side-by-side French and Spanish style mansions completed in 1911 by Camilo and Ernesto Cámara Zavala. Owned by the Barbachano and Molina Méndez families, they are two of only a few houses that are still used as residences on Paseo Montejo from that era. During the [[Porfiriato]], the Barbachano house held cultural events that hosted artists, poets, and writers. In the mid-1900s, the Barbachanos hosted aristocrats including [[Grace Kelly|Princess Grace]] and [[Rainier III, Prince of Monaco|Prince Ranier]], as well as first lady of the U.S., [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|Jacqueline Kennedy]].{{cite web |url=https://historicalmx.org/items/show/6 |title=The Camara Brothers' Twin Houses |publisher=Sam Houston State University |access-date=April 6, 2020 }} |
Modern Mérida has expanded far beyond its original city walls, and many old [[Spanish Colonial architecture|Spanish colonial buildings]] and several old city gates can still be seen in the ''[[Old town|centro histórico]]'', which is among the largest in the Americas. Many large and elaborate homes from the early 20th century still line the main avenue called ''[[Paseo de Montejo]]''. For example, "Las Casas Gemelas" (The Twin Houses) are two side-by-side French and Spanish style mansions completed in 1911 by Camilo and Ernesto Cámara Zavala. Owned by the Barbachano and Molina Méndez families, they are two of only a few houses that are still used as residences on Paseo Montejo from that era. During the [[Porfiriato]], the Barbachano house held cultural events that hosted artists, poets, and writers. In the mid-1900s, the Barbachanos hosted aristocrats including [[Grace Kelly|Princess Grace]] and [[Rainier III, Prince of Monaco|Prince Ranier]], as well as first lady of the U.S., [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|Jacqueline Kennedy]].{{cite web |url=https://historicalmx.org/items/show/6 |title=The Camara Brothers' Twin Houses |publisher=Sam Houston State University |access-date=April 6, 2020 }} |
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The [[Cathedral of Mérida, Yucatán]], dating to 1598, was the first cathedral in continental North América.{{ |
The [[Cathedral of Mérida, Yucatán]], dating to 1598, was the first cathedral in continental North América.{{Cite web |last=Roller |first=Sarah |title=Mérida Cathedral – History and Facts |url=https://www.historyhit.com/locations/merida-cathedral/ |date=November 20, 2022 |access-date=July 19, 2022 |website=History Hit }} |
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===Museums=== |
===Museums=== |
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