🏛️ Great Zimbabwe Ruins
Zimbabwe
About This Sacred Site
Great Zimbabwe is the remains of a medieval city that was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe during the country's Late Iron Age. The stone ruins, built between the 11th and 15th centuries without mortar, represent the largest ancient structure in sub-Saharan Africa south of the Sahara. The Great Enclosure and Hill Complex served both political and spiritual functions, with the site deeply connected to Shona religious practices involving ancestral spirits and the Mwari cult. The iconic Zimbabwe Bird carvings found here became the national symbol of modern Zimbabwe.
Key Facts
- •UNESCO World Heritage Site and the country's namesake
- •Built between the 11th and 15th centuries without mortar
- •The Great Enclosure's walls are up to 11 meters high
- •Eight soapstone Zimbabwe Bird carvings were found at the site
- •At its peak, the city housed 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants
Location
Coordinates: -20.2674, 30.9338
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