Chapter 1
The largest monument ever built
Chapter 2
A sacred city of pilgrimage
Chapter 3
The day the Spanish arrived
Chapter 4
Exploring the secret tunnels
Ch 1 · The largest monument ever built
sonia Great Pyramid of Cholula
Underneath the church, hidden in the hill, the largest monument on Earth!
sonia The pyramid is not a single structure but six nested pyramids built on top of each other.
sonia The ancient Nahuatl name for the pyramid translates directly to 'man-made mountain.'
Glossary
pyramid (noun)
A monumental structure with a square base and triangular sides that meet at a point. In 1519, Hernán Cortés invaded Cholula, unaware that a massive pyramid lay hidden beneath the church.
A monumental structure with a square base and triangular sides that meet at a point. In 1519, Hernán Cortés invaded Cholula, unaware that a massive pyramid lay hidden beneath the church.
Fun Fact
Size comparison: Although Giza's Great Pyramid in Egypt is taller, Cholula's base is so massive it could cover about 110 American football fields, making it the largest monument ever built.
Quiz
What is the meaning of the Nahuatl word Tlachihualtepetl, the ancient name for the Great Pyramid of Cholula?
Quiz
What material was primarily used to construct the millions of bricks for the Great Pyramid of Cholula?
Quiz
How does the base of the Great Pyramid of Cholula compare to the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt?
Quiz
How many nested pyramid structures, built on top of each other over centuries, make up the Great Pyramid of Cholula?
Quiz
What makes the Great Pyramid of Cholula unique compared to all other ancient monuments on Earth?
Quiz
Why did Spanish conquistadors fail to realize the Great Pyramid of Cholula was a man-made structure at first?
Quiz
Which of these ancient Mesoamerican civilizations was NOT involved in the development or control of Cholula?