Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which existed from 1100 to 1450 AD during the countrys Late Iron Age. The monument, which first began to be constructed in the 11th century and which continued to be built until the 14th century, spanned an area of 722 hectares (1,784 acres) and at its peak could have housed up to 18,000 people. Read more
The Great Zimbabwe, or "stone buildings", is the name given to the twelfth to fifteenth century stone ruins spread out over a 722 hectare (1,784 acre) area within the modern-day country of Zimbabwe, which itself is named after the ruins. It is near the town of Masvingo, which before majority rule was called Fort Victoria. Read more
AT the ancient complex, 27km south of Masvingo City, eagles majestically soar over the northern granite outcrops forcing skunks and lizards to dart in and out of cracks, crevices and crannies in the ancient stone walls. Dragon flies hover over the greyish rocks while an assortment of melodiously singing small birds fly in acrobatically stunning styles. Welcome to Great Zimbabwe -- the single largest ancient city in Africa South of the Sahara, where walls built of 15 000 tonnes of stone without mortar have resisted weathering for more than 700 years. The monument covers 720 hectares. In Zimbabwe's history, chieftainships have thrived and died leaving behind tell-tales but the Great Zimbabwe Ruins have remained timeless declarations of supreme ancient architectural legacy. Greyish stones stand imposingly as walls where rock is perfectly laid without mortar in straight, even lines, each level set fractionally back from the one below so that the wall slants, providing equilibrium and stability. Zimbabwe derives its name from the Great Zimbabwe (Zimba -- the big house; remabwe -- of stones) and the Government's adoption of the eagle or Zimbabwe bird ichnography certainly glorifies the country's historical roots in Great Zimbabwe.