Castle Map

Ruin

Great Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe · 11th century

Founded
c. 1050
Heritage status
World Heritage Site
Location
Masvingo Province
Coordinates
-20.27°, 30.933°
Links
UNESCO · OpenStreetMap · Wikimedia Commons
Open on the map →Wikipedia ↗
Great Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe
Photo: Atamari · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Description

Great Zimbabwe was a city in the south-eastern hills of the modern country of Zimbabwe, near Masvingo. It was settled from around 1000 AD, and served as the capital of the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe from the 13th century. It is the largest stone structure in precolonial Southern Africa. Major construction on the city began in the 11th century and continued until the 15th century. The city was abandoned in the 16th or 17th century. The edifices were erected by ancestors of the Shona people, who live in Zimbabwe and nearby countries. The stone city spans an area of 7.22 square kilometres (2.79 mi2). Population estimates vary.

Earlier estimates suggest a peak population of around 20,000 people. A recent study using archaeological, ethnographic, and historical evidence, along with statistical modeling, suggests that the site's population did not exceed 10,000. The Zimbabwe state centred on it likely covered 50,000 km² (19,000 sq mi). It is recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The site of Great Zimbabwe is composed of the Hill Complex, the Valley Complex, and the Great Enclosure (constructed at different times). It also contained area for commoner housing within the perimeter walls. Scholars disagree on the functions of the complexes. Some believe them to have been residences for royals and elites at different periods, while others suggest they had separate functions. The Great Enclosure, with its 11 m (36 ft) high dry stone walls (constructed without mortar), was built during the 13th and 14th centuries, and likely served as the royal residence, with demarcated public spaces for rituals.

The first confirmed visits by Europeans were in the latter 19th century, with investigations of the site starting in 1871. Great Zimbabwe and surrounding sites were looted by European antiquarians between the 1890s and 1920s.

Text adapted from “Great Zimbabwe” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

In the rankings

Great Zimbabwe ranks #35 of 9,902 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #1 of the 2 mapped in Zimbabwe. Founded c. 1050, it is older than 89% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 458 atlas entries founded in the 11th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 51,922 times in the last 60 days, more than 99% of the atlas. See how Zimbabwe compares in the castle statistics.

Castles nearby