Pahuatlán

Pahuatlán
Town & Municipality
Pahuatlán del Valle
Panoramic of the town of Pahuatlán
Coordinates: 20°16′32″N 98°09′01″W / 20.27556°N 98.15028°W / 20.27556; -98.15028Coordinates: 20°16′32″N 98°09′01″W / 20.27556°N 98.15028°W / 20.27556; -98.15028
Country	Mexico
State	Puebla
Founded	1532
Municipal Status	19th century
Government
• Municipal President	Melitón Guzmán Vallejo
Elevation (of seat)	1,600 m (5,200 ft)
Population (2010) Municipality
• Municipality	20,619
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
Postal code (of seat)	73100
Demonym	Pahuatense

Pahuatlán (Spanish   ), officially Pahuatlán del Valle, is a town and municipality located in the northwest of the state of Puebla in central Mexico. The municipality is part of the Sierra Norte region of the state, a steep mountainous area which receive significant moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, and borders the states of Hidalgo and Veracruz.

The town was founded by the Augustinians when they built a small monastery here in 1532, with the area divided among ethnic Nahuas and Otomis, both of which can still be found here today. Culturally, the municipality is best known for the amate bark paper which is produced by the Otomis of the San Pablito community.

The town of Pahuatlán is located on a small level space on the side of the Ahila Mountain about 1600 meters above sea level in the Sierra Norte mountains of Puebla about fifty km from Tulancingo near the Hidalgo and Veracruz state borders. It is the center of commerce for the municipality of the same name, with a population of just over 3,000. The area conserves most of its traditional simple and austere architecture despite the lack of ordinances to that effect. The center of the town has stone paved roads. Traditional houses consist of two floors with wrought iron balconies and high roofs covered in red tile. The town has been photographed by noted artist Angeles Torrejon for a series called “Vivir en la Sierra” (To live in the mountains). Another regular photographer of the area is Ruben Pax.