Great Zimbabwe facts for kids
Great Zimbabwe: Tower in the Great Enclosure.
|
|
 Location in Zimbabwe
|
|
| Location | Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 20°16′S 30°56′E / 20.267°S 30.933°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| Part of | Kingdom of Zimbabwe |
| Area | 7.22 square kilometres (1,780 acres) |
| History | |
| Founded | 11th century |
| Abandoned | 15th century |
| Periods | Late Iron Age |
| Cultures | Kingdom of Zimbabwe |
| Site notes | |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Official name | Great Zimbabwe National Monument |
| Criteria | Cultural: i, iii, vi |
| Inscription | 1986 (10th Session) |
Great Zimbabwe is an amazing ancient city in ruins. It is found in the southeastern hills of Zimbabwe, a country in southern Africa. This special place is not far from the border with Mozambique.
Great Zimbabwe was once the main city, or capital, of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe a very long time ago. This was during a period called the late Iron Age, when people used iron tools. Building the city started around the 11th century and continued until the 14th century. It was a huge city, covering about 722 hectares (1,780 acres). Up to 18,000 people might have lived there! It was the royal city for the king of Zimbabwe.
One of the most impressive parts of Great Zimbabwe is its strong walls. Some of these walls are more than five meters (16 feet) high. What's really cool is that they were built without any mortar, which is like the cement that holds bricks together today. Eventually, the city was left empty and slowly fell into ruins.
A Powerful Kingdom
The ancient Kingdom of Zimbabwe was very large. It stretched from the Zambezi River in the north all the way to the Transvaal in the south. It also reached Botswana in the east. The people who lived at Great Zimbabwe were very important. They controlled the trade between the African coast and the areas further inland. This means they bought and sold many goods.
The modern country of Zimbabwe is actually named after this incredible ancient city. This shows how important Great Zimbabwe is to the history of the region.
Uncovering the Past
People who study old things, called archaeologists, have found many interesting items at Great Zimbabwe. They discovered goods from places as far away as China! This proves that the people of Great Zimbabwe traded with others over very long distances.
The city stopped growing before traders from Portugal arrived in southern Africa about 500 years ago. No one is completely sure why the city was abandoned. When Europeans first saw the ruins, some thought that people from other lands must have built them. But now, we know for sure that Great Zimbabwe was built by the local African people. Studying this site has taught us so much about the rich history of old Africa.
The first time Great Zimbabwe was written about was in 1531. A Portuguese captain named Vicente Pegado wrote about it, calling it Symbaoe. Europeans started visiting the ruins in the late 1800s. Serious studies of the site began in 1871.
Images for kids
-
The conical tower inside the Great Enclosure at Great Zimbabwe
-
Overview of Great Zimbabwe. The large walled construction is the Great Enclosure. Some remains of the valley complex can be seen in front of it.
-
Aerial view of Great Enclosure and Valley Complex, looking west
-
Aerial view looking southeast, Hill Complex in foreground
-
View west from the Eastern Enclosure of the Hill Complex, showing the granite boulder that resembles the Zimbabwe Bird and the balcony.
-
Detail of the wall with lichen, 1975.
-
Copy of Zimbabwe Bird soapstone sculpture
-
Great Zimbabwe appears on Abraham Ortelius' 1570 map Africae Tabula Nova, rendered "Simbaoe".
-
The Valley Complex
-
Exterior wall of the Great Enclosure. Picture taken by David Randall-MacIver in 1906.
-
The Hill Complex
-
Passageway in the Great Enclosure
-
The Conical Tower
-
The Great Enclosure
-
The Great Enclosure (close)
-
The Great Enclosure (far)
-
The Hill Complex from the Valley
-
Wooden lintel in doorway
.jpg)
,_Great_Zimbabwe.JPG)
See also
In Spanish: Gran Zimbabue para niños
