Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman and Museum of Oaxacan Cultures, Oaxaca (must see)

The Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman, also known as the Temple of Santo Domingo, is situated in the vibrant city of Oaxaca, Mexico. It stands as a remarkable example of New Spanish Baroque architecture. The initial construction endeavors for this edifice can be traced back to 1551 when the City Council of Antequera de Oaxaca generously allocated twenty-four plots of land to the Dominican Order for the establishment of a convent in the city. However, it wasn't until 1608 that the convent complex of Santo Domingo was officially inaugurated.

Throughout its storied past, the Convent of Santo Domingo has witnessed numerous significant events in the history of Mexico. It has served as a military warehouse and a stable, and during the era of Jacobin secularism brought about by the Reform War, it was temporarily closed to Catholic worship. Eventually, it was restored to the Church under an agreement made by Porfirio Díaz. In 1979, the esteemed Catholic pontiff, John Paul II, paid a visit to the convent, which further added to its historical significance. Later, the site, along with the entire Historic Center of Oaxaca, was bestowed the honor of being designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The former quarters of the convent now house the Museum of Oaxacan Cultures (Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca). This remarkable institution was established with the support of the talented artist Francisco Toledo, who hails from Oaxaca. The museum boasts an impressive collection of pre-Columbian artifacts, including the contents of Tomb 7 from the nearby Zapotec site of Monte Albán. The once-monastic garden has been transformed into an ethnobotanical garden, showcasing a diverse array of plants indigenous to the region.

The museum offers a combination of English and Spanish explanatory material, although the majority is presented in Spanish. Additionally, visitors can explore a delightful book and souvenir shop, as well as a captivating on-site library housing an impressive collection of 30,000 titles in multiple languages. Some of these extraordinary books even date back to the 15th century.