Southern African Highlights

The Great Zimbabwe Monument

Fact File:
Build around AD 1250 – AD 1450
Located about 30km off Masvingo
The city of the Great Zimbabwe used to cover about 80ha

The Great Zimbabwe Monument is a ruined city that is belivied to be the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which existed from 1270 to 1550CE. The mediaeval monument, which first began to be constructed in the 11th century and which continued to be built till the 14th century, spanned an area of 722 hectares. Great Zimbabwe acted as a royal palace for the Zimbabwean monarch and would have been used as the seat of their political power. One of its most prominent features were its walls, some of which were over five metres high and which were constructed without mortar.
The construction of Great Zimbabwe is claimed too by the Lemba, an ethnic group with a tradition of ancient Jewish descent through their male line and female ancestry derived from the Karanga subgroup of the Shona. This tradition was recently substantiated by DNA analysis.

How to get there?

It used to be a bit easier as Zim was not as struggled as it is today. In nowadays the easiest way of going there is joing an organised tour. The tourism sector in Zimbabwe is recovering, so in the near future it should be possible to travel the country by rental car again. Some companies are already operating in the country. If you plan to travel from eg South Africa to Zimbabwe with a rented car, make sure that you are actually allowed to cross the border. Some companies do have pretty strict rules on that!

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Southern Africa Explored - 35 days

Start: Cape Town End: Johannesburg Countries Visited: South Africa - Namibia - Botswana - Zimbabwe - Mozambique This five week tour is a comprehensive exploration of the best that Southern Africa has to offer. Great food, amazing desert landscapes in Namibia, the mighty Victoria Falls, a multitude of exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities from land and water in Etosha National Park, the Okavango Delta, Chobe and Kruger National Parks and the relaxing beaches of Mozambique. You'll tick every box on this journey!

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