Montezuma Castle

Montezuma Castle is located on the southwestern side of the U.S. state of Arizona in the valley of the Green River. It was built in 1100 AD by the Sinaqua Indians on the upper part of the Verde Valley cliff as a dwelling. This structure, the main material of which is a raw brick, covers an area of about 6.7 ^km2. Until the 15th century, the Sinaqua tribe lived here, engaged in agriculture. But, for reasons unknown to us, the settled territory was abandoned by the Indians.

The main reasons for the population's departure include prolonged drought, food shortages, or constant conflicts with a neighboring tribe.

The castle was discovered by Europeans already in the 19th century. They named the find Montezuma Castle, mistakenly believing that Emperor Montezuma was involved in the construction of this structure. Although the emperor was not even born yet, when the Aztecs left the stone building.

This architectural structure consists of five floors and has about twenty rooms. The walls almost merged with the rocks. Previously, about 50 people lived here, who are the forerunners of modern Pueblo Indians. The castle can be accessed using auxiliary stairs. On the other side of the cliff, the ruins of another dwelling were discovered, which has not survived to this day.

Since 1906, according to a decree issued by the ruling President of the United States, Montezuma Castle, along with the surrounding area, has been the third national monument of the United States. Nowadays, it is the most important architectural monument in the United States, which preserves a thousand–year history.

Since 1950, tourists have been allowed to enter the territory of this dwelling. Every year, the ancient Montezuma castle is visited by about 350 thousand tourists. The tour also includes a visit to the Sinagua Museum, which features tools used to build ancient homes, as well as the remains of ancient artifacts. In the souvenir shop located in the valley, you can buy souvenirs.

The living conditions are very harsh, and already at a distance of 50 km from the castle there are hotels and hotel complexes.