461-year-old Mexican church submerged underwater reappears

Visitors are flocking to a 16th century church in Mexico that has resurfaced after being underwater since 1966.

A drought has caused the water levels at the Nezahualcóyotl reservoir in Chiapas state to drop 82 feet, making the Temple of Santiago, also known as the Temple of Quechula, visible once again. The church was built in 1554 by Dominican friars, Reuters reports, and was abandoned after a plague hit between 1773 and 1776. "It was a church built thinking that this could be a great population center, but it never achieved that," architect Carlos Navarretes said. "It probably never even had a dedicated priest, only receiving visits from those from Tecpatán."

After the reservoir was added in 1966 and the area flooded, the church briefly reappeared in 2002, when water levels dropped. At that time, a local fisherman told The Guardian, "the people celebrated." They came to eat, explore the ruins, and conduct business, he said, and several processions were held around the church. Catherine Garcia

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