When there is a drought in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas, a reservoir that was completed in 1966 drops its levels and reveals a spectacular piece of Mexico’s history. Built in the Quechula locality, a church was built by a group of monks back in the mid-16th century, but was abandoned due to the plagues of 1773-1776.

Built by a group of monks, the church is 61 meters long and 14 meters wide, and surrounding walls of 10 meters high. The bell tower reaches 16 meters (48 feet) above the ground.

The last drought to hit the watershed of the Grijalva river was in 2002, when levels dropped so low people could walk around the church. This year, water levels have only dropped in the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir by 25 meters.

But, due to camera’s being a little more accessible these days, here are some fabulous photos from this year:

[source: mashable]