UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe has 3 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List (2 cultural and 1 natural), the first inscribed in 1984 (Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas). The map below plots every one of them alongside the rest of the List, and each site is written up in full further down the page.
- World Heritage Sites
- 3
- Cultural
- 2
- Natural and Mixed
- 1
- First Inscribed
- 1984
Map of World Heritage Sites in Zimbabwe
CulturalNaturalMixedIn DangerLarge dots are in Zimbabwe. Click a dot to read about the site.
Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas
Zimbabwe · 15.8194° S, 29.4081° E · 6,766 km² · 102 km from Kariba
On the banks of the Zambezi, great cliffs overhang the river and the floodplains. The area is home to a remarkable concentration of wild animals, including elephants, buffalo, leopards and cheetahs. An important concentration of Nile crocodiles is also be found in the area.
Description from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
Why Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas Is Listed
- (vii)
- Superlative natural phenomena or exceptional natural beauty.
- (ix)
- An outstanding example of ongoing ecological and biological processes.
- (x)
- The most important natural habitats for conserving biodiversity.
Great Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe · 20.2700° S, 30.9330° E · 7 km² · 26 km from Masvingo
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 are currently located 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 people. 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).
Adapted from Wikipedia: Great Zimbabwe (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Great Zimbabwe Is Listed
- (i)
- A masterpiece of human creative genius.
- (iii)
- A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.
- (vi)
- A direct association with events, ideas or beliefs of universal significance.
More about Great Zimbabwe
UNESCO's Description
The ruins of Great Zimbabwe – the capital of the Queen of Sheba, according to an age-old legend – are a unique testimony to the Bantu civilization of the Shona between the 11th and 15th centuries. The city, which covers an area of nearly 80 ha, was an important trading centre and was renowned from the Middle Ages onwards.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
History and description
The Great Zimbabwe area was previously settled by the San, dating back 100,000 years. Starting around 150 BC, Bantu-speaking peoples settled there, forming agricultural chiefdoms starting in the 4th century AD. Between the 4th and the 7th centuries, communities of the Gokomere or Ziwa cultures farmed the valley, and mined and worked iron, but built no stone structures. These are the earliest Iron Age settlements in the area identified from archaeological diggings.
The later Gumanye people are considered the ancestors of the Karanga (south-central Shona), who would construct Great Zimbabwe. Their culture developed and lasted centuries.
Construction of the stone buildings started in the 11th century and continued for over 300 years.
History of research and origins of the ruins
There has historically been much debate around the origins of Great Zimbabwe, termed the "Zimbabwe controversy". Mired in racial prejudice, Rhodesians found it inconceivable that the structures could have been built by indigenous Africans, stipulating that archaeological discoveries of Persian bowls and Chinese celadon were the result of pre-Bantu settlement. The colonial government pressured archaeologists to deny that the structure was built by indigenous Africans, because acknowledging it would have dismantled their "civilising mission" rationale.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Great Zimbabwe (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Visiting Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is a complex of ruins built by Shona-speaking people between the 13th and 14th centuries. It was once the centre of a vast empire known as the Munhumutapa Empire. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Great Zimbabwe (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Khami
Zimbabwe · 20.1433° S, 28.4234° E · 17 km from Bulawayo
Khami (also written as Khame, Kame, or Kami) is a ruined city located 22 kilometres (14 mi) west of Bulawayo, in Zimbabwe. It was once the capital of the Kingdom of Butua of the Torwa dynasty. It is now a national monument and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Khami (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Khami Is Listed
- (iii)
- A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.
- (iv)
- An outstanding example of a type of building or landscape.
More about Khami
UNESCO's Description
Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been abandoned in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological interest. The discovery of objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a major centre for trade over a long period of time.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
History
Khami was the capital of the Torwa dynasty for about 200 years from around 1450 and appears to have been founded at the time of the disappearance of the state at Great Zimbabwe. After that (the traditional date is 1683), it was conquered by Changamire Dombo who led an army of Rozvi rebels from the Mwenemutapa ("Monomotapa") State. Excavations seem to show that the site was not occupied after these Rozvi took over. The Rozvi made another Khami phase site, Danamombe (Dhlo-Dhlo), their new capital. In the 1830s Nguni speaking Ndebele raiders displaced them from Khami and many of the other sites they had established.
The site of Khami reveals seven built-up areas occupied by the royal family with open areas in the valley occupied by the commoners.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Khami (CC BY-SA 4.0).
World Heritage in Zimbabwe: Quick Answers
- How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Zimbabwe?
- Zimbabwe has 3 World Heritage Sites: 2 cultural and 1 natural.
- What was the first World Heritage Site in Zimbabwe?
- Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas, inscribed in 1984. The most recent is Great Zimbabwe, inscribed in 1986.
- What are the natural World Heritage Sites in Zimbabwe?
- Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas.
- Are any World Heritage Sites in Zimbabwe in danger?
- None of the World Heritage Sites in Zimbabwe is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.