Nearly 22,500 people climbed the Pyramid of the Sun in the archaeological site of Teotihuacan in central Mexico, to commemorate the arrival of the spring equinox this year, informed sources from the National Institute of Anthropology and History. Pyramid of the Sun, the massive archaeological edifice, was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

The deputy director of the archaeological zone, Veronica Ortega, said the Pyramid of the Sun venue that is located about 45 kilometers northwest of Mexico City recently received 32,000 visitors, 70 percent of whom waited hours to get to the top of the pyramid.

On Sundays, admission is free and the number of visitors who come to the site balloons to between 7,000 and 8,000 people. Last year, when the equinox coincided with Easter Day, there were 174,000 visitors.

The Pyramid of the Sun, one of the most emblematic structures of Mexico, is a colossal structure that was erected in several stages for hundreds of years. It has a height of 63.5 meters. The structure has a total of 245 steps leading to its highest point.

Teotihuacan, which means ‘place where men became gods,’ annually receives approximately 2.7 million visitors. During its time of splendor, between 250 A.D. and 650 A.D, the city covered about 20 square kilometers, and was inhabited by between 120,000 and 200,000 people. Teotihuacan civilization disappeared after 750 years for reasons that remain unclear.

Via ENGLISH.EASTDAY.COM

Images courtesy of Reuters