When you think of ancient ruins in Africa, odds are you think of the great Pyramids of Giza or the Valley of the Kings. The reality is though, Africa has many more amazing and inspiring ruins throughout the continent. Ruins such as the highly underrated Great Zimbabwe.
The Great Zimbabwe ruins can be found in the south-eastern corner of the country, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. They are the largest collections of ruins in Africa, outside of Egypt and south of the Sahara. They are what remain of the once capital city of the area.
The city was founded in the 11th century, and lasted for about 4 centuries before being abandoned. The fact that they are still standing is a testament of the incredible architectural skill used to create the city. It was home to a cattle-herding people who also became known for their metal-working skills as well. The ruins are one of several that can be found in the area, but most of the others have long since been ransacked, and the ruins of Great Zimbabwe are by far the largest.
The ruins are on the UNESCO World Heritage list, but it doesn’t attract as much attention of some other ruins in Africa. The area is surrounded by stone walls, and some historians believe that it was once a royal palace, with a population of somewhere between 10,000 – 20,000 people. You will see turrets, towers, platforms and beautifully carved staircases, all of which display the engineering skills used to create the buildings. Not all the ruins are of the palace either. Some of the area shows that a large majority of the people who lived there, lived in extremely poor conditions that resemble that of a modern-day slum.
As for the history of the region, much has been lost. Though many present-day Zimbabweans view it as a source of pride, not a lot can be said about the people who lived there, or why the city eventually fell into obscurity by the 16th century. It does appear that the area was at the epicenter of an industrious southern African empire, trading with other African nations as well as places much further north in Asia such as India, Persia and China, but by the time the Portuguese arrived it had faded away.
A small museum can also be visited when you explore the ruins. inside you will find shards of Persian pottery, a Chinese writing set and brass ornaments from Assam of India. All of the artifacts where found near the ruins and are extremely old.
The Great Zimbabwe ruins are not only fantastic to see, but highly underrated, and well worth visiting on your vacation to the area.