Architectural Marvel of the Ruins of Great Zimbabwe

Origins of the Ruins of Great Zimbabwe

The ruins of great Zimbabwe adds to the list of great African sites of interests. Africa is full of great archeological sites that have remained unknown or without their deserved status. One of the reasons for that was luck of documentation as there was no explanations on the sites.

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe are the remains of a city thought to have been built by the Shona people between the 11th and 15th centuries, this means this was a medieval city. The Shona people who are in the group of the Bantu-speaking people are the majority in the modern Zimbabwe population today.

Seemingly the Shona people were likely nomadic farmers before they built the Great Zimbabwe city. Experts have come up with evidence of domestication in the area where the city was built as far back as 400 AD. Moreover, the site was sparsely inhabited in the prehistoric era. The ruins of the Great Zimbabwe was built at a site that had previously been occupied by the Mapungubwe people may have built the first city in the Southern Africa. The Mapungubwe people were Iron Age settlers in southern Africa who lived between 1000 and 1300 AD. They had skills in agriculture, pottery making and metallurgy.

Cultural Significance of the Ruins of Great Zimbabwe

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe is of great value not only to Zimbabwe but also to the whole of native Africa. The ruins of the city are a unique testimony to the Bantu people’s civilization and specifically to the Shona people between the 11th and 15th centuries. The remains of the city covers an area which is estimated to be about 80 hectares, the city was an important trading center and was renown from the medieval era.

Moreover, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe demonstrate the Shona people’s civilizations ingenuity and sophistication that the people had attained between the 11th and 15th centuries. The ruins link Zimbabwe to its history that existed before European colonization.

The ruins, though they represent the attained level of development by one of the groups of people in Africa, they serve as symbol of national pride and identity specifically for Zimbabweans and to a large extent to all Africans. The name of the modern country of Zimbabwe comes from the ruins, and the image of that Great wall is featured on the national flag and currency of the country.

Additionally, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe provide practical insights into how the stone building techniques evolved in southern Africa and how it could further be developed into a unique technology. The technology will be taken with great respect as its origin is with roots from the early African communities that lived before European colonialism. This type of construction by stones without modern cement marvels the current architecture profession.

Touristic attractions

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe attract tourists due to many reasons. Some of the reasons that make tourists visit the site include; archeological significance, national identity, cultural heritage, UNESCO World Heritage Site, stone structures, architecture and engineering.

Archeological significance and national identity

The ruins of the Great Zimbabwe are identified as a symbol of national unity and for Zimbabweans and even beyond the borders. The ruins are a great treasure to archeologists as the site demonstrates the level of achievement that African people had reached.

UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cultural Heritage and Engineering

The ruins have great importance not only to the people of Zimbabwe but to the whole of human race. This importance of cultural heritage to humanity is recognized by UNESCO World Heritage Site for all to learn from the site. Moreover, the site demonstrates the sophisticated level of construction knowledge that the local people of Zimbabwe had mastered before European colonialism.

Services to tourists

The ruins of the Great Zimbabwe are important touristic site that is well organized. The services available to visitors include but not limited to the following: guided tours, transportation and entry fees that is charged to the visitors.

Guided tours

The ruins of the Great Zimbabwe are a fascinating touristic site. On touring the ruins one can explore the employed architecture to construct the wall and the archeological site that is of great importance as it reveals lots of findings of great significance to qualify to the level of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Moreover, can enjoy the lake view and wildlife near the site.

Transportation and day trips

On exploring the ruins one can use private transportation so long as they  pay entrance fees and may however need a guide for better exploration of the site. Through the help of guides it is also possible to have lunch in the site while exploring.

Economic benefits to the local population

The ruins of the Great Zimbabwe contribute to Zimbabwe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through tourism, cultural heritage, researches carried out at the site and national inspiration as it is regarded as a national identity.

Tourism and Cultural heritage

The ruins of the Great Zimbabwe are a popular tourists destination in Zimbabwe which contributes for the country’s economy. The ruins are respected as they are a source of national identity and pride, and they demonstrate economic and technological achievements attained by the local population in the past.

Local Communities

The ruins have great cultural, spiritual and religious value to the local communities, African studies, African philosophy, and other African disciplines. Through the site, the local population is able to revitalize cultural practices and spiritual rituals. These practices and values attract visitors to explore and learn from the site.

Conclusion on the Ruins of Great Zimbabwe

I hope that the article has given you insights on the ruins of the Great Zimbabwe. The ruins are a site of the UNESCO World Heritage Site level, which means the ruins are of importance to human beings as they contribute to past knowledge of what was going on in the history of humanity especially at that side of the world.

Moreover, we have seen that the site is given importance in the country as it is identified as a symbol of national unity and pride not only to Zimbabweans but beyond the borders. We have also learnt that the site is open for visits and that one can get several services when they visit the site. You are welcome to visit the ruins of the Great Zimbabwe.

Frequently Asked Questions on the Ruins of Great Zimbabwe

The question of ruins of Great Zimbabwe is a question of great significance for people of Zimbabwe and all Pan Africanists that treasure the heritage of African people. Being a question of that importance then it attracts a number of questions from readers. The questions can be found online however, here are some of the many questions asked by interested readers.

1. How did the great Zimbabwe Empire look like?
2. Who built great Zimbabwe and why?
3. Where can I find the great Zimbabwe map?
4. How to find the ruins of great Zimbabwe wikipedia?
5. What was the Great Zimbabwe religion?
6. Where can we find the true history of Great Zimbabwe?
7. What is the Great Zimbabwe culture?
8. Where to find the Great Zimbabwe state notes PDF?