Great Pyramid of Cholula
19.0575 - 98.301944444444Koordinaten: 19 ° 3 ' 27 " N, 98 ° 18' 7" W
The pyramid of Cholula is the volume after the largest known pyramid in the world.
Naming
As with most Indian temples in the Americas was the original name of the building is no longer known. In Mexico, the pyramid as " Gran Piramide de Cholula " is known, which leads to the German translation " Great Pyramid of Cholula " and the " Great Pyramid of Cholula " used in the English -speaking world. Other common names are: Tlachihualtepetl (the mountain of unbaked bricks ) and Teocalli ( home of the gods ), the latter is used for many pyramids in Mexico.
Geography
The pyramid stands in Cholula, a suburb of Puebla. The level of Cholula is located in a central Mexican valley at 2,175 m altitude. In the west, the valley is bounded by the volcanoes of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. To the north is the inactive volcano La Malinche and the east of the valley rises the 5,747 m high Pico de Orizaba up, which counts towards the Sierra Nevada. The plain is drained by the river Atoyac, which now flows through Puebla and is connected to the Lake Valsequillo.
Dimensions
The pre-Hispanic structure has a volume of approximately 4.45 million cubic meters with a floor area of 450 x 450 m. However, it is with the current height of 66 m significantly smaller than the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt and also 4 m lower than the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacán. The excavations show that it must once have been higher. The top of the four platforms on which now stands a church is very large and the lowest levels are still a few meters below the present ground level.
History
In Cholula first settlements from the 3rd century BC and were detected by an unknown people started with the work on the temple dedicated to Quetzalcoatl pyramid complex. For several centuries, until about 700 AD built various peoples mind. The description panels ( also in English) on the excavation site indicate that the pyramid every 52 years has been expanded. The number 52 had a special meaning in the Native American cultures and can still be found in many areas.
The first pyramid, which was built of adobe, had a side length of 190 m and a height of about 34 m. She was just like the about the same time erected in 100 km distance pyramids of Teotihuacán around 17 ° C. in a northeasterly direction aligned. The last ( 5th to 7th ) superstructures in the 8th century with the final size of approximately 450 x 450 m were built in Talud - Tablero style, suggesting a strong connection to the builders of Teotihuacan complex, because this architectural style dominates there. From the 8th century a drastic population decline in Bloom recorded the city, again parallel to Teotihuacán 100,000 inhabitants, this giant monument was then no longer built ( end of the classical period) and the pyramid grew in part. ( Elsewhere in the city was in the Postclassic but still built sacral, around the 12th century by the Toltecs ).
After the Spanish conquest, the church " Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios " was built in the 16th century on top of the pyramid.
Research
The pyramid is scientifically researched since 1917. The found near 10 -ton main altar suggests that it was dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl ( coatl = snake, quetzalli = green feather ). This mysterious deity was worshiped by many Native American peoples. From 1931 to 1956, walk- tunnel system was created under the direction of Ignacio Marquina. These 8 -kilometer-long tunnels were dug mainly in the interior of the pyramid, to understand how the different layers can overbuilding. Here, at least five construction phases have been identified that are clearly visible in the accessible section for tourists. 1966 started to expose parts of the temple again. Today, one can therefore understand the pyramid on the west and south again as such. It's not been definitively explained why the pyramid today rather than a tightly bewucherten mountain resembles a building by the hand of man. Some sources report that Hernán Cortés let them fill up and with the stones of some nearby smaller pyramids, the Christian church " Santa Maria de los Remedios " was built on it. The remains of the smaller pyramids in the immediate area are still visible from the church. Other reports say that upon arrival Cortés, the pyramid was no longer recognizable as such already and he therefore did not destroy them.