What is "quechula"

Quechula is the name for a now-submerged village located in Chiapas, Mexico. The town was founded in the mid-1500s by Bartolomé de las Casas. The city was of strategic importance because it laid on the El Camino Real, a road that connected many important settlements in central Mexico. A large church was constructed in the town; the church was rather grandiose, due to the belief that the city would one day be a major population center. However, this never came to pass, and it is unlikely the church ever had an official priest. Carlos Navarrete, an architect who assisted with a report on the structure, claimed that the church was probably served by priests from other local churches.

After a plague affected the town in the late 18th century, Quechula and the church were all but abandoned. The construction of the Malpaso Dam in 1966 resulted in the whole area being flooded. As such, the large church slipped beneath the waves of the Nezahualcóyotl Reservoir. However, in 2002 and 2015, water levels receded so much that the ruins of the church became visible. In 2002, the water was so low that people were able to walk throughout the ruins.