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The Great Zimbabwe Ruins and Matobo Hills

The mortar-less walls of' Great Zimbabwe is a ruined Iron Age city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which existed from 1100 to 1450 AD. Construction first began in the 11th century and continued until 14th century. In its heyday it could have housed up to 18,000 people over a 722 hectares.

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A royal palace for the Zimbabwean monarch this would have been used as the seat of their political power. One of its most prominent features was its walls, some of which were over five metres high and which were constructed without mortar.

The abandoned ruined city was first discovered by European traders and explorers in the early 16th century. In essence the word "Great" distinguishes the site from the many hundreds of smaller ruins scattered across the Zimbabwe Highveld (Known as Zimbabwes) and 200 similar sites in southern Africa, such as Bumbusi in Zimbabwe and Manekweni in Mozambique, with Great Zimbabwe being the largest of these.

Established in 1926 is the oldest national park in Zimbabwe. The Matobo Hills were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The area "exhibits a profusion of distinctive rock landforms rising above the granite shield that covers much of Zimbabwe".

The Matobo National Park forms the core of the Matobo or Matopos Hills, an area of granite kopjes (Rocky outcrops) and wooded valleys commencing some 35 kilometres south of Bulawayo the second largest city in southern Zimbabwe.

The Hills were formed over 2000 million years ago with granite being forced to the surface, this has eroded to produce smooth "whaleback dwalas" and broken kopjes, strewn with boulders and interspersed with thickets of vegetation. The Matobo Hills is an area of high botanic and fauna diversity San (Bushmen) lived in the hills about 2,000 years ago, leaving a rich heritage in hundreds of rock paintings, with 3,000 registered rock art sites at present. This area has a rich history and even Cecil Rhodes planted his tomb on Malindidzimu to enjoy the view from the afterlife.

The Lodge at the Ancient City is a unique hotel built around a granite outcrop in the same style as Great Zimbabwe ruins with stunning views across the valley of Msasa towards the ancient city. More...

Great Zimbabwe Hotel is only a short walk away from the Monument itself. The hotel has its own tradition. More...

Camp Amalinda is situated just outside Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe. This exclusive safari lodge is tucked away in an ancient Bushman’s shelter, in the Matobo Hills and is within the Matobo National Park. More...

Matobo Hills and the Great Ruins

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