“The 1,000-year-old Montezuma Castle is a 5 story 20 room castle BUILT into a CLIFF in Arizona, U.S.A.

-National Geographic 5,000 Awesome Facts, fact #2 in 50 DUSTY FACTS ABOUT ANCIENT RUINS

In 1906, on December 8th, Montezuma’s Castle is nestled 90 feet up in a limestone cliff, was established as the 3rd National Monument dedicated to preserving Native American Culture. (https://wnpa.org/explore-parks/montezuma-castle) It was inhabited by the Sinagua (which means ‘without water’) Native Americans from 1100 to 1400’s.

Montezuma Castle was named in 1860’s by European-American settlers who discovered the 5 story structure thinking that it was developed by the Aztec ruler, Montezuma, believing that the Aztecs were connected to the construction. The dwelling was actually depopulated more than 40 years before he was born.

The monument is located in Camp Verde in Arizona, off of Interstate 17, exit 289;-54 90 miles north of Phoenix, and 45 minutes south of Flagstaff. It overlooks Beaver Creek. It’s not really a “castle”, but it may have functioned more like a prehistoric high rise apartment complex. It has twenty rooms.

It was constructed with a combination of stone, wooden beams and stone.

The Sinagua people, a pre-Columbian culture is closely related to the Hohokam and other Indigenous Peoples of the southwest. (https://visitsedona.com/sedona-secret-7/ancient-trails/montezuma-castle-national-monument/) They gradually migrated and integrated with other tribes around 1440 C.E., mainly with the Hopi. Descendants live on maintaining ties with the area.

The site used to be accessible to visitors but discontinued in 1951 due to wear and tear and safety reasons.