The Lost City Of Great Zimbabwe
We make our way along the dusty path from the sparsely populated car park having read something of the history and importance of the place we are approaching, but with little idea of just how engaging Great Zimbabwe is going to be. Listed by The Guardian newspaper as one of the world’s great lost cities and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986, this is a place of mystical charm and fantastic workmanship from centuries back. Such is the importance of this site that is from here that the newly independent Zimbabwe took its name (Zimbabwe = houses of stone).
It’s not uncommon when entering a lost city to let the imagination take over, that feeling of picturing the city as it was in its pomp, what life must have been like, how grand it must have felt to be in the court of the King. But here at Great Zimbabwe, there are extra elements: the intrigue of its narrow winding passageways, the evocative nature of the climb to the summit but, perhaps above all, the level of craftsmanship which went into its remarkably durable construction.
Constructed by the Bantu-Shona people between the 12th and 15th centuries, this city at 1100 metres above sea level may have been home to around 10,000 people, a considerable size settlement for this area at that time. An impressive amount of the structures remain, in three separate sections stretching across nearly 3 square miles in total. The dry stone method of construction has stood the test of time incredibly well, and as we stand at the foot of the mighty walls of the Great Enclosure our thoughts are hooked on the huge amount of effort which must have gone into the city’s creation.
Every single one of the stones in the construction needed to be moulded into the correct shape, a method which involved the making of fire followed by the application of water, enabling the rough granite to be fashioned into flat “bricks”. But there’s more: decorative linear features such as herringbone and chevron patterns, and sweeping radius corners via which the exterior walls curl around the concentric elipses of the main body, all add to the allure of this remarkable spectacle.
The sheer size of the sweeping curve of the wall of the Great Enclosure is astonishing: the largest intact section is 250 metres long and 11 metres high, but for us it’s that perfectly constructed curve which is perhaps the single most eye catching aspect. It takes quite a while to explore and to stand and stare, marvelling at the unbelievable number of shaped granite building blocks forming such impressive shapes. In the middle stands the Conical Tower, for some time a mystery in itself as to any practical function it may have had but now believed to be simply a show of power and wealth.
We climb to the summit of the Hill Ruins, as the name implies the highest of the three sections, soaking in the magnificent views, before descending down the steep, narrow pathway which is the very route used by those people all those centuries ago. It feels magical and mystical to be following in their footsteps down this unusual, tight passageway which quickly drops 100m from summit to ground.
On the flat field between the sites on this particular Saturday there is a rather more modern aspect on view: marquees, a stage and copious quantities of portable toilets all being put into place. Tomorrow this whole field will see a day of celebration, and the President himself will be here. September 15th is a newly inaugurated annual festival known as Munhumutapa Day, timed to coincide with the top man’s birthday on that very date. Munhumutapa is the path declared by President Mnangagwa to rebuild Zimbabwe for the benefit of everyone, and rebuild “stone by stone”, referencing of course those methods which created Great Zimbabwe in the first place. The movement has reportedly resonated in particular with the youth of the country.
Our journey from Bulawayo to Great Zimbabwe soon dispelled any trepidation of driving here which we may have felt: the road surfaces soon improving once out of the city to reveal only lightweight traffic for mile after mile. The effects of the drought are all too obvious: bone dry riverbeds, failing crops and arid fields rolling on and on for the first few hours. Only as we approach the open and attractive town of Masvingo does the land become marginally more fertile, greenery at last colouring the scenery as the glinting surface of Lake Mutirikwi appears in the distance.
For our second day here at Great Zimbabwe we drive the full circumference of the lake, over the top of the giant Kyle Dam at its eastern end and round to the Kyle Game Reserve which borders the lake’s shores. We don’t see much in the way of wildlife – baboons, eland and duiker aside – but it’s fun to drive the dusty tracks on what is our first self-drive safari. Shades of what lies ahead in Namibia maybe.
There’s something odd about the scenery though – well, odd for us Brits anyway. This is Zimbabwe’s winter, the deciduous trees are completely barren, devoid of leaves and drawing skeletal sketches against the backdrop of the clear sky. But it’s searingly hot, and that’s what’s odd. For those of us used to seeing winter a long way north of the equator, the experience of witnessing something which has the look of an English January yet is baking under a blazing sun, is a strange sensation.
As we head north east away from Great Zimbabwe, we pass through regions where that incongruous mix is even more evident as dense forests of wintry trees cope with the dry heat of the season. On we go towards the mountains and the very different terrain which surrounds the place they call Nyanga….
22 Comments
Andrew Petcher
I thought that lizard with an orange face was Donald Trump!
Phil & Michaela
….in a wet suit😂
Lookoom
I’d never heard of Great Zimbabwe, but like you I’m impressed by the quality of the dry stone buildings. I like your interpretation of the meaning of the tower, ‘believed to be simply a show of power and wealth’, I make roughly the same analysis of the Irish round towers, but that’s another story.
Phil & Michaela
And San Gimignano. Great Zimbabwe is quite a stirring place.
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
Yes, I remember that odd sensation of seeing winter and feeling summer. I wish Zimbabwe good luck (and good rain) in building “stone by stone” a new future.
Phil & Michaela
Yes… we can only wait and see..
wetanddustyroads
What an amazing site to be able to visit! The narrow passageways are so dramatic and I can only imagine what it must feel like to be able to walk in footsteps of the Bantu-Shona people. And how amazing are those ancient structures in the hills that are literally built into the rocks! It is good to see a lake in this drought – we hope Zimbabwe’s good rainfall is not too far in the future.
Phil & Michaela
Interesting you should pick up on that – Michaela too is fascinated by how they incorporate the natural rocks into the construction. Quite a cool place to visit!
WanderingCanadians
Lost cities are so fascinating to explore and learn about. It’s amazing to think how they were able to build all this back then before modern day technology.
Phil & Michaela
I know, it’s just incredible!
Travels Through My Lens
I continue to be amazed at the incredible experiences you’ve having in Africa. Looking forward to reading more.
Nick
Masvingo Isn’t Particularly hot. It is at about 3,000 feet. Try the lowveld in October
Phil & Michaela
It’s hot for Englishmen! 😂
Helen Devries
What is the Crocodile planning to do…a rebuild?
Phil & Michaela
Crocodile? What crocodile?
Helen Devries
The current president. His nickname.
Phil & Michaela
Aha, we missed that! But ….well, that’s his metaphor…. Rebuild stone by stone.. just like they did back then. Nice posturing, no idea about the substance!
Helen Devries
It will be a miracle if the FCO don’t dish out aid money to assist the project…
Toonsarah
That looks like a fascinating place to visit. You’re so right about ancient cities, especially when enough remains to enable you to visualise what it once looked like. You can almost feel the ghosts following you along those paths – looking at your photos, I can almost see them! The lizard colours are amazing, and the lake views magical 🙂
Phil & Michaela
It really was just like that, Sarah – especially following the steep narrow path back down
Toonsarah
A very different history but it reminded me of following the steps worn by the former inhabitants of Bandelier in New Mexico
grandmisadventures
Fascinating read on this lost city. I love the narrow walkways through the rocks. I think I would get caught up in a great swirl of imagination trying to picture the people and their lives there.