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The Palace of the Columns lies on the north side of the Patio of the Columns, the largest of several courtyards, running north to south down the south-facing hillside on the north side of the Mitla river. The Palace consists of the Hall of the Columns, a long, narrow space with a row of columns in the middle, running parallel to the north side of the patio. Behind this, to the north, is another square palace complex, accessed by the Patio of the Mosaics in the middle.
This view is looking from behind the stonework of the palace structure on the east side of the Patio of the Columns, north-west and towards the central staircase leading up to the doorways on the south facade of the Hall of the Columns. Behind the Palace of the Columns, the red tile roofs of the Church Group are visible in the middle distance.

Behind the Hall of the Columns, on the north side of the patio, and near the entrance to the site, there is a square palace complex, with long, narrow galleries on all four sides of the Patio of the Mosaics. The patio is a square space, with one large square doorway on each side of the space. The walls of the patio are elaborately detailed and ornamented with heavy, horizontal stone mosaic friezes with interlocking fretwork and geometric motifs, framed in smooth masonry registers in several tiers at the tops of the walls. There are at least 14 distinct geometric motifs that have been identified in the friezes at Mitla, they represent the earth and the sky, and the feathered serpent and other divinities.

The Iglesia Complex, or church group, lies north of the entrance, in the highest part of the archaeological site. It consists of a group of buildings around two square courtyards, one north of the other. As was typical of their conquering fashion, the Spaniards built the Church of San Pablo, over the top of the southern-most patio, and at the highest point on the site, when they arrived here in the 18th century.
This view is looking to the south and downhill, along the east facade of the Church group, where a stone path lined with potted plants leads up to a small museum and visitor's center in the north-eastern corner of the site, or behind the picture.

South of the Patio of the Columns, and a little further down the hill and to the west, there is another large, square courtyard known as the Patio of the Tombs, because there are subterranean tombs located under the front facades and stairways of the buildings on the north and east sides of the plaza. The tomb on the north side of the patio contains the Column of Life, said to foretell the number of years left in the life of those who put their arms around the fat stone pillar.
This view shows the north facade of the Patio of the Tombs, a horizontal palace structure with 3 square doorways facing to the south, and ornamental friezes and stone fretwork on the upper part of the walls. Below the central opening, and built into the rubble-fill of the second terrace, is the opening for the tomb with the Column of Life. The base of the walls, and the edges of the patio are finished with fine stone masonry, all of the buildings, as well as the pavement of the plaza were covered with plaster.

The Iglesia, or Church Group, at the northern edge of the site, has two square patios. The south patio and it's surrounding palace structures were over-built with the Christian Church of San Pablo, which has a nave running east to west, and 3 portals and a tower on the west facade. The roof of the church was made of two large octagonal domes, and several lower, subsidiary domes, all covered in bright red tile and with tall, square lanterns at the top of each dome.
The northern patio of the Iglesia complex was left open as a cloister for the church, and it remains with surrounding palace structures on 3 sides, as well as another, smaller group of buildings on the north side ogf the complex. This view is looking south towards the church, through the northern patio, from the doorway on it's north side.

The Arroyo Group is another large complex of buildings, organized around several courtyards, that lies to the south-west and downhill from the main part of the site. There are 3 patios, running north to south on the west bank of a small tributary to the Mitla river. The buildings are somewhat later, and of lower quality and importance to the site. This view is looking to the north and west sides of the remaining patio.
One of the upper patios remains, a large square space lined with horizontal palace structures, and typically 3 large square doorways facing the space on all sides. The tops of the walls are decorated with the characteristic broad horizontal friezes and registers, filled with fretwork and geometric designs, but the masonry is not as deep and fine, and the rubble fill can be seen in the lower part of the walls.