Gran Pirámide in Veracruz, VZ is an excellent site to visit if you are a lover of archeology and have always wanted to visit old ruins that are virtually steeped in ancient history. Not actually within the Veracruz proper, the Gran Pirámide or Grand Pyramid as the white man would say, is within the ruins of Zempoala which is about an hour away from the city.
The ceremonial cornerstone of the Totonaca culture for several hundred years from the 13th through 16th centuries at least, Zempoala offered places for religious practices, the hosting of ball games and many other events. In fact, Hernando Cortez visited the Totonacas and helped them defeat the Aztecs.
Today, the ruins are quite impressive in Zempoala with the Great Pyramid or Gran Pirámide holding great prominence within this palm framed plaza. There are several stone structures in the ruins of Zempoala and the Gran Pirámide is actually several rows of stone platforms stacked atop one another and taper off. The Grand Pyramid includes two staircases and this entire structure is located at the western end of the ruins.
What is impressive is that there are still inscriptions visible in some areas of the ruins which really bring home the significance of the place, especially in Mexican history. Given that Hernando Cortez came to Zempoala and helped the Totonacas, the ruins are held in greater regard with archeological entities and steps are being made to help restore areas of the ruins. Therefore, should you happen to make it to the ruins of Zempoala to see the Gran Pirámide, chances are you will not be able to climb it or any other stone structure due to rehabilitation efforts. Still, a visit to this place will have you seeing people from this ancient culture in your imagination.
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