Great Pyramid of Cholula

The Great Pyramid of Cholula was constructed as a Teocalli. A Teocalli (meaning "God-house" in the Nahuatl language) is a Mesoamerican pyramid with a temple on the top.

Cholula also has the most amazing location with the volcanos Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl close by.

This Teocalli is rather unique though, since the temple on the top of the Great Pyramid of Cholula is not the original temple dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, the Mesoamerican deity of the Toltecs who constructed it. Instead, on the top sits La Iglesia do los Remedios, a Catholic church built in the sixteenth century by the Spaniards led by Cortes. They destroyed the Aztec empire and massacred the residents of Cholula. At that time the great pyramid was hidden under grass and stone, looking for all the world like a natural hill. Cortes destroyed the temple and ordered a church be built in its place, unaware of the great pyramid underneath.

It was not until the twentieth century that the pyramid was uncovered by chance. Archaeologists quickly became interested and began to survey and excavate the site. Now a section of the pyramid has been reconstructed. Although only part has been revealed and restored, it certainly shows how impressive the structure must have been when it was completed!

The reconstruction of the pyramid is only partial, but it still allows visitors a good number of steps to climb! Altars and platforms are also open for visiting.

A great portion of the pyramid though is still underground. In order to explore these a huge labyrinth of tunnels has been excavated, producing five miles of passageways through the different levels of the pyramid. Visitors are warned, however, that although these tunnels are lighted the atmosphere is dark and there is a sense that in the depths of this "mountain" that constitutes the pyramid there may be many ancient spirits who might not want to be disturbed.

Perhaps visiting the church on top of it all is more uplifting!

Don't forget, Cholula is right beside not one but two volcanoes! In Aztec mythology, Iztaccihuatl and Popocateptl were unfortunate lovers, somewhat like Romeo and Juliet.

There are many versions of their story, but generally Iztaccihuatl was a princess who fell in love with prince Popocatepetl who was from a different tribe. Her father did not want their marriage so he agreed to it on condition that their tribe fight in a war with his troops, intending that the prince die in battle. He lied to them both, claiming the prince died in battle to his daughter and that his daughter had died of grief to the prince. Fortunately they didn't believe the lies and ran off together and lived happily, albeit briefly, together. Somehow she died and he was griefstricken and wanted to die too. (In other versions she did die before he returned and so he took her body and built a funeral altar and placed her on top; then he also lay down to die.) So the gods covered them with snow and changed them into mountains. Iztaccihuatl's mountain is called the "White Woman" because it is often white with snow and resembles a woman sleeping on her back. Beside her, his mountain is the volcano Popocatepetl, raining fire in rage at the loss of his beloved.

The volcano is still active today. From the pyramid of Cholula you can often see a plume of smoke can be seen rising from the top of Popocatepetl. What I don't know is whether he's happier to see the Catholic Iglesia on top of the pyramid in place of the temple of Quetzalcoatl, or whether that substitution makes him even angrier!

• The giant pyramid hidden inside a mountain - BBC Future