Remains Of 400-Year-Old Church Emerge From Mexican River
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Locals in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas are visiting a local reservoir in their droves after a 400-year-old church suddenly appeared from the depths.
The building has been lying under the waters of the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir since a dam flooded it in 1966.
However, a drought in the region has seen the water level of the Grijalva River - which flows into the reservoir - drop by 82 feet and now most of the church has become visible.
The last time it was seen was in 2002, where water levels dropped so much that visitors could actually walk inside.
A group of Spanish colonisers built the church in the 16th century before it closed its doors around 200 years later.
Architect Carlos Navarete, who wrote a report on the relics, revealed: “The church was abandoned due the big plagues of 1773-1776.”
The structure is around 183 feet long and 42 feet wide, while the bell tower stands at 48 feet above the ground.
However, the impressive design never quite attracted the worshippers the designers may have hoped.
Navarete added: “It was a church built thinking that this could be a great population centre, but it never achieved that.
"It probably never even had a dedicated priest, only receiving visits from those from Tecpatan.”
Locals are making up for that now and are reportedly being ferried across to the remains by local fishermen.
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