The Great Pyramid of Cholula is a huge temple-pyramid complex located in the small town of Cholula, ten minutes outside of Puebla on the old highway to Mexico City.

History of the Great Pyramid of Cholula

In pre-Columbian times, Cholula was a large city and the religious capital of highland Mexico. Construction on the Great Pyramid was undertaken in four stages beginning around the 2nd century BC. It was dedicated to the deity Quetzalcoatl.

The first two stages date from the Classic period; the earliest pyramid was built at about the same time as the pyramids of Teotihuacan (c.100 BC). It has the talud-tablero motif characteristic of Teotihuacan and is painted with insect-like designs in red, yellow and black, also in Classic Teotihuacan style. The strong similarities have led some scholars to conclude that Cholula was a sister city to Teotihuacan.

The second Great Pyramid at Cholula was built right over the first one and no longer imitated Teotihuacan forms. The builders created a radial pyramid with stairs covering all four sides so that the summit could be approached from any direction. It was 590 feet (180m) long on each side.

After the Toltecs conquered this region around 1200, they used the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (under the current town square) as their ceremonial center, leaving the Great Pyramid as a monumental ruin. In 1359, the kingdom of Huexotzingo (enemies of the Aztecs) took over Cholula. By the time the Spanish conquered at Cholula, the Great Pyramid had been a ruin for so long that they thought it was just a natural hill.

What to See at the Great Pyramid of Cholula

At first glance, the Great Pyramid just looks like a grassy hillcrowned by a church (called Nuestra Señora de los Remedios). But if you climb the unreconstructed pyramid beside it, you can plainly see the geometric outline of the original structure, which rises from the ground in four levels.

From this viewpoint you also get a good look at El Popocatépetl, the majestic snow-capped volcano that separates this valley from the valley of Mexico.

The Great Pyramid of Cholula is the largest pyramid in the world, much larger in volume than the great pyramids of Egypt. With a base of 450x450m and a height of 66m, its total volume is estimated at 4.45 million m³.

Archaeologists have reconstructed one side of one of the lower segments of the pyramid and have dug some five miles of tunnels into the pyramid, which visitors are free to explore.

Among the artifacts uncovered by archaeologists at Cholula is a 165-foot (50-m) long multicolored mural featuring life-sized human figures. Thought to date from the Classic period, the mural has been given the title "The Drunkards" - the scene is one of drinking and inebriation. The liquid depicted in the mural may not be alcohol, but a hallucinogenic potion derived from mushrooms or even peyote.

Quick Facts on the Great Pyramid of Cholula

Site Information
Names:	Great Pyramid of Cholula
Categories:	pyramids; temples
Dates:	2nd C BCE
Status:	ruins
Visitor and Contact Information
Coordinates:	19.058305° N, 98.302145° W
Address:	Cholula Puebla, Mexico
Hours:	Tue-Sun 9am-5:45pm
Lodging:	View hotels near the Great Pyramid of Cholula

Note: This information was accurate when first published and we do our best to keep it updated, but details such as opening hours and prices can change without notice. To avoid disappointment, please check with the site directly before making a special trip.

References

1. Michael D. Coe and Rex Koontz, Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs, 5th ed. (London: Thames & Hudson, 2002), 120-21, 138.
2. "pre-Columbian civilizations: Cholula" - Encyclopædia Britannica Online
3. Puebla Side Trips - Frommers.com

More Information

• Photos of the Great Pyramid of Cholula - here on Sacred Destinations