Great Zimbabwe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once the capital of a powerful empire. It was a trading post and home to over 10,000 people. The ruins cover nearly 1,800 acres and contain hundreds of structures, including the famous Great Enclosure. Theories linking the structures to Jerusalem or Phenicia have been dismissed, and it is believed they were built by Bantu-speaking people. Some people believe the city was created by gods or aliens and visit to meditate or communicate with the energy there.
Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city in the country of Zimbabwe. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been since 1986. The ruins were once the capital of a mighty empire and are an impressive example of ancient African construction.
The Empire of Great Zimbabwe, also known as the Mutapa Empire or Mwene Mutapa, was a kingdom that existed in present-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique between the mid-13th century and the early 17th century. It became a dominant power in the region, largely due to its lucrative gold trade with the Arab world in the latter part of the 14th century. Beginning in the 16th century, the European powers began to take an interest in the lands of the empire, with the Portuguese invasion of the area. The Zulus began invading around the same time, helping to weaken the empire, which was eventually conquered by the Portuguese in the 17th century.
At its peak, the city of Great Zimbabwe was a powerful trading post, home to more than 10,000 people. The empire traded with far-reaching cultures and the city was the seat of this kingdom. For much of the early history of Western research on the city, various theories were put forward as to how the structures were created. Early researchers could not believe that Africans could have created such intricate buildings, and so theories were presented linking them to early structures in Jerusalem or Phenicia. Modern research has largely dismissed all of these theories, and it seems clear that the city was built by a Bantu-speaking people, most likely speakers of the Shona language.
The denser complex of Great Zimbabwe covers nearly 1,800 acres, or nearly 3 square miles (7 square km), although the ruins spread over a larger area of 200 square miles (500 square km). The complex contains hundreds of different ruins scattered across denser areas, most notably the Great Enclosure, the Valley Complex, and the Hill Complex.
The Great Enclosure is by far the most famous of the complexes within the city, housing more than 300 structures. The great wall of the Great Enclosure is an iconic image that can be found throughout Zimbabwe. Both the Hill Complex and the Valley Complex are home to even more structures and ruins, from different periods of the empire’s history.
Some people argue that Great Zimbabwe was in fact created by gods hundreds of thousands of years ago and that the earth maintains a cosmic connection with these divine beings. As a result, many people visit the city to meditate and communicate with the deeper energy said to reside in the place. Others argue that the place was built by aliens and used as a base to mine gold for their needs, and that they hold a special interest in the site. While these are very fanciful interpretations of the place’s history, it’s actually not uncommon to find local tour guides giving this version of the place’s ‘history’.
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