Montezuma Castle

So-called Montezuma Castle is a National Monument between Phoenix and Flagstaff. It is neither related to the Aztec ruler Montezuma nor a castle. It is a site with multi-level pueblos, including cliff dwellings. And it is spectacular.

The dwellings were built and inhabited by the Sinagua people over several centuries, from approximately 1100 to 1425.



The site actually includes two different "castles" side by side. The first, is itself called Montezuma Castle. It is five stories tall and built into the side of a cliff face.

Montezuma Castle is approximately 90 feet (just under 30 m) off the ground and would have been accessed by ladders.



The second dwelling is known as Castle A, which is thought to have had 45-50 rooms.

One of my favorite things about the site in general, and especially Castle A, is the way the masonry and the cliff blend into each other.

The surroundings are, not entirely coincidentally, gorgeous. The cliffs border Beaver Creek, which as a source of water in the desert, made the area particularly habitable and more suitable for agriculture.

The river also provides enough water for sycamores, in this case the Arizona sycamore (Platanus wrightii). With their tall white trunks, sycamores are some of my favorite trees.

The sycamores were used to make the structural beams, some of which are visible.

And here's one final look. Isn't it stunning?