The 5,000-year-old megalithic monument sticks out under the lake after the drought

The giant megalithic stone circle emerges from the deep bottom after the water in the suburb of Peraleda de la Mata, Spain, withdraws.

The megalithic stone circle is a mystery because it is unclear who is building and for what purpose.(Photo: The Local).

Stone blocks dating back to the 2nd and 3rd millennium BC constitute the Temple of the Sun at the banks of the River Tagus. The last time local people saw the stone circle was more than 50 years ago when the area was submerged under the reservoir due to the government building a dam in 1963.

Many residents eager to see megalithic rocks have become local legends. A total of 144 stone blocks, some two meters tall and carved with solid shapes, are in a circle like the Stonehenge monument in England but it is unclear who made up the rock and for what purpose. According to Angel Castaño, a member of the cultural association Raíces de Peralêda, who is seeking to preserve the site, the building came into existence thousands of years ago, using granite transported from the quarry a few kilometers away.

Some blocks are two meters high.(Photo: The Local).

"Like Stonehenge, the stones form the temple of the Sun and the burial area. They have not only religious significance but also economics, being one of the few places in the river that can pass by. So, it is a kind of commercial center, " Castaño said.

The stones began to rise in early summer and are now lying on dry ground. According to Castaño, this area has no rain in the summer due to drought. The withdrawal policy to supply Portugal also contributed to lowering the water level and revealing the stone circle.

Castaño is mobilizing people to move the rocks to a drier place before the water rises again in the rainy season."If we miss this opportunity, it may take years for the stone circle to reappear. Because of the granite, quite porous rocks have signs of erosion and cracking. right now before it's too late, " Castaño emphasized. He hoped the provincial government would help move the site to a nearby location within the next few weeks and bring the rock to the tourist map.

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