Santo Domingo

Museum of Oaxacan Cultures

Church of Santo Domingo

Sightseeing in Oaxaca City. From the massive, maze-like Mercado del Abastos (Abastos Market) where we all but lost ourselves, to the equally large & labyrinthian Museum of Oaxacan Cultures… 
The latter was once a monastery and is said to be one of the best restoration projects (carried out in the 1990s) in Latin America. Ranging from artefacts from Monte Alban to gold & silver from the mining boom and right up to the late 19th century era of Benito Juarez and Porfirio Diaz (both native Oaxacans), it was too much to see in one go. More manageable was the adjoining Church of Santo Domingo which in terms of ornateness is pretty hard to surpass. Every inch of the walls and ceiling were covered with paintings, carvings and gold leaf. There was a wedding going on at the time which afterwards, in that golden late afternoon light, moved out into the square in front with much dancing & singing. Magical.