Droughts are not good, but let's marvel for just a minute at something pretty cool that we're catching a glimpse of because of one.
A church from the mid-1500s rose from the waters — not literally, of course, because buildings don't generally tend to rise from the waters — when the water levels dropped dramatically, exposing the aging structure.
The New York Daily News created a video about the church, which is pretty darn amazing.
GIFs by New York Daily News.
This is the Temple of Quechula, and it was built in 1564.
It's located in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Also known as the Temple of Santiago, it was abandoned because of the plague between 1773 and 1776, which seems like a pretty legit reason to abandon a church if you ask me. And almost 200 years later, in 1966, it was submerged under almost 100 feet of water when a dam was constructed nearby, reports the Associated Press.
In 2002, water levels dropped enough that people could actually walk through the ruins. Now, reports the AP, "a drought this year has hit the watershed of the Grijalva river, dropping the water level in the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir by 25 meters (82 feet)."
That 82-foot drop in water level is enough to allow for some pretty amazing photos — and even visits from folks who want to do a bit of climbing.
Pretty cool, huh?
Iglesia de Quechula #exploringchiapas #chiapas #llenatedechiapas #rioschiapas #chiapasrivers #nature #underwaterstructure #underwaterchurch #iglesiaquechula #quechula
A photo posted by Exploring Chiapas (@exploringchiapas) on
Iglesia de Quechula #exploringchiapas #chiapas #llenatedechiapas #rioschiapas #chiapasrivers #nature #underwaterstructure #underwaterchurch #iglesiaquechula #quechula
A photo posted by Exploring Chiapas (@exploringchiapas) on
Iglesia de Quechula #exploringchiapas #chiapas #llenatedechiapas #rioschiapas #chiapasrivers #nature #underwaterstructure #underwaterchurch #iglesiaquechula #quechula
A photo posted by Exploring Chiapas (@exploringchiapas) on
Getting an up-close view of an ancient structure like this one is probably one of the few upsides to a drought. But it's certainly worth enjoying because it's not every day that a nearly 500-year-old church appears out of the water.
Watch the clip for more neat images: