The Great Pyramid of Cholula in Mexico is Earth's largest by volume (4.5 million cubic meters). Known as Tlachihualtepetl 'Man-Made Mountain.' Over 8km of tunnels reveal seven building layers from different eras, oldest dating to c. 300 BCE. A colonial church sits atop unaware of the pyramid below. 🏔️
Cholula Pyramid Contains 8km of Ancient Tunnels
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Key facts
- Great Pyramid of Cholula is largest pyramid ever built on Earth by volume at over 4.5 million cubic meters
- Known in Nahuatl as Tlachihualtepetl meaning Man-Made Mountain
- Network of more than 8 kilometers of intersecting tunnels excavated
- Tunnels exposed seven distinct building layers representing different eras of expansion
- Earliest core dates to around 300 BCE built by Olmec-Xicalanca people
- Seven layers built directly over older ones over centuries of devotion
- Mural of the Drinkers 56 meters long depicts ritual feasting and worship of Quetzalcoatl
- Main stairway points directly to setting Sun during equinox
- Tunnels reveal drainage channels imitating flow of rivers beneath sacred mountain
- Spanish conquistadors built colonial church on summit unaware of pyramid beneath
Sources
The Great Pyramid of Cholula in San Andrés Cholula - Atlas Obscuraatlasobscura.com
The Great Pyramid of Cholula. An Aztec temple, the largest man-made pyramid in the world, sits buried in earth with a Spanish church set on top.
The Largest Pyramid in the World | History Todayhistorytoday.com
The world's largest pyramid can be found not in Egypt, but hidden beneath a hill in a small town in the central Mexican state of Puebla.
Cholula - The World's Largest Pyramid (Really!)themaritimeexplorer.ca
The Great Pyramid of Cholula, Mexico is the largest by volume in the world and was in continuous use for 2500 years. Walk over or under it.
Exploring The Cholula Pyramid, Mexico's 'Man-Made Mountain'allthatsinteresting.com
The Cholula pyramid reaches only 66 meters tall but covers a vast amount of ground, spreading across an area of 300 by 315 meters.
Mexico's Great Pyramid of Cholula Is The World's Largest Templesacredtreks.com
The Pyramid of Cholula base measures 450 by 450 meters (1,476 by 1,476 feet) and contains a total volume of 157 million cubic feet (4.45 million ...
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