The Ruins Of A Historic Church Are Rising Out Of A Reservoir In Mexico

A lack of rain has lowered water levels in the Grijalva River, allowing the beautifully eerie reemergence of a 16th century church.

Low water levels in a reservoir in Chiapas, Mexico, have slowly revealed the ruins of the 16th century Temple of Santiago.

David Von Blohn / AP

Also known as the Temple of Quechula, the church is near the town of Nueva Quechula. It was submerged in 1966, when the Nezahualcoyotl dam was built.

David Von Blohn / AP

The church was built by Dominican friars, who arrived in the region in the mid-16th century. They guessed the area would eventually become a population center, but that never came to pass, the Associated Press reported.

David Von Blohn / AP

It was abandoned in the late 1700s, when plagues came to the region. The 183-foot by 42-foot church — with its 48-foot tall bell tower — eventually began to crumble.

David Von Blohn / AP

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SOURCE: BuzzFeed