Searching for Mexican History in the Tunnels of Puebla Natasha Ghoneim - Al Jazeera
go to original May 5, 2016

The tunnels are part of an underground history that the almost 500-year-old city is calling the "Secrets of Puebla" (Natasha Ghoneim/Al Jazeera)

When I read about a network of centuries-old tunnels that opened last December, in Puebla, Mexico, I was instantly fascinated. And I am not the only one.

City officials tell us since small sections of the tunnel opened last December, 140,000 people have flocked to see them. "It's something new. It's part of our story here in Mexico and it's so interesting and important for us to know our history," said tourist Ana Karen Ramirez.

The tunnels are part of an underground history that the almost 500-year-old city is calling the "Secrets of Puebla". Serendipity, not scholarly research, is responsible for the discovery.

In 2014, a construction crew was building an underpass in Puebla. Initially, there were plans to build an overpass. But Puebla is a historic city and officials want to preserve it. In the midst of digging, a crew unearthed the remains of a dam and a tunnel.

A year later, this excavation project began. It's believed there are as many as 10km of tunnels, spanning from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

"You can have tunnels and caverns in lots of parts of the world," says Sergio Vergara, Director of the Historical and Heritage Centre of Puebla. "But here, the interesting thing is that these tunnels are under the city. That’s what makes this network important."

There is still so much that is unknown about the tunnels, including why they were built and exactly who used them. It’s believed the Spanish Conquistadors [conquerors] first constructed them in the 16th century.

Read the rest at Al Jazeera

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