After 13 long years, a 400-year old church in Mexico has gloriously resurfaced, after being submerged in reservoir waters since 2002. This ‘surfacing’ scenario alludes to a special kind of magnificence, given the imposing dimensions of the actual building which pertains to 61 m x 14 m or 854 sq m (200 ft x 43 ft or 8,600 sq ft) of area, along with its bell tower that reaches over 50 ft. And the act of reemergence was only possible because of the dipping water levels in the Chiapas state reservoir that dropped by over 25 ft (82 ft).
The so-named Templo de Quechula was originally constructed in 1564 AD (probable date) by a group of monks headed by Friar Bartolome de la Casas, who accompanied the Spanish colonists to the area in 16th century. But after more than hundred years of service, the religious building had to be abandoned, possibly due to a outbreak of plague in the region during 1773 – 1776 AD.
But while its patrons had vanished, the structural efficacy of the church still held out – until ‘invaded’ by modern infrastructural requirements. In 1966, the entirety of the facades were wholly submerged by the water from a reservoir, due to the construction of a dam in the Grijalva River. As we mentioned before, these waters last receded in 2002, allowing visitors to even travel by foot inside the building.
In any case after being affected by water for over 40 years, the architectural aptitude of the submerged church still remains intact, with its proud arches and buttresses. And what’s more, the chalky-white hue of the building does strike a pleasant contrast with the blue-green water of the reservoir. This scenic appeal has certainly inspired a few local entrepreneurs who are guiding tourists to the paradisiacal yet surreal place for bouts of photography. And if you are interested, you can also take a gander at the entire lost city of Mologa in Russia that resurfaced after 79 years being under water.
Photo credit: Jorge Pedrero
Photo credit: José González
Photo credit: José González
Source: Notimex / Via: HyperAllergic