Le Grand Zimbabwe

Au sud-est de Masvingo, ces ruines sont certainement les structures les plus anciennes et les plus importantes après celles de Mapungubwe en Afrique du Sud.
Des explorateurs européens les ont découvertes autour de 1870.
L'archéologie moderne a démontré que le Zimbabwe fut tout d'abord occupé par les premiers peuples de l'Âge de Fer au 3ème siècle. Il a été abandonné pour être réoccupé plus tardivement vers la fin du 9ème siècle ou début du 10ème.

The Great Zimbabwe National Monument

in Bantu, Zimbabwe means "stone houses".
- UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 -

Southeast of Masvingo, the ruins at Great Zimbabwe are some of the oldest and largest structures located in Southern Africa, and are the second oldest after nearby Mapungubwe in South Africa. It was discovered by European explorers around 1870. At its peak, it is estimated that Great Zimbabwe had up to 18/20,000 inhabitants. The ruins that survive are built entirely of stone.
These ruins includes also a strong fortress, nearby dwellings, and an elliptically shaped enclosure, commonly called the Temple. The buildings were once richly decorated with stone carvings and gold and copper ornaments. Archaeologists believe that the city was constructed by a local African culture, probably the Shonas with little outside influence or if so, the Arab descent Swahili people.

Photos argentiques scanées



Les ruines restantes sont principalement le mur massif de la Grande Enceinte, construite au 11ème siècle, sa construction se poursuivant pendant plus de 300 ans. Ces murs, hauts de 11 m et se prolongeant sur environ 250 m, sont la plus grande structure antique au sud du Désert de Sahara.

Modern archaeological evidence has shown that Zimbabwe was first occupied by the earliest Iron Age people in the 3d cent. It was abandoned sometime thereafter until it was reoccupied in the late 9th cent. or early 10th cent. The remaining ruins are mainly a massive wall, constructed in the 11th century (and continuing for over 300 years) commonly referred to as the Great Enclosure. It has walls as high as 11m extending approximately 250m, making it the largest ancient structure south of the Sahara Desert.

La grande Enceinte:
The enclore's Great Wall:

Sur le dessus de ce mur, on peut encore voir la décoration en pierres: 

At the top, the stone decorations are still in place!

La Porte principale:
The main gate:

A son apogée, le nombre des habitants du Grand Zimbabwe se situait entre 18 et 20,000. Les ruines restantes sont entièrement construites en pierre et s'étendent sur 7 km ², couvrant un rayon de 160 à 320 km et englobent également une forteresse inclue dans la roche de la colline voisine.
Vue globale de l'ensemble:

Global view of the large city's dominant remains, lodged in the valley and surrounded by hills.
The populace lived in thatched huts - recent ones can still be seen on site - in the vicinity of this large stone-walled enclosure, dwelling of the high rank families.The ruins span 7 km² and cover a radius of 160 to 320 km:

Photo Wikipedia


Des singes Vervet occupent le terrain et se régalent de cactées:

Vervet monkeys are everywhere, eating cactus plants:




L'Oiseau icone du Zimbabwe, en pierre sculptée, emblème du Zimbabwe.
Il est apparu progressivement sur les drapeaux nationaux et les blasons.
La forme de cet oiseau suggère qu'il représente un aigle bateleur, un oiseau d'importance symbolique, dans la culture Shona. Le bateleur, ou chapungu, est un bon présage: esprit protecteur et messager des dieux. Cet Oiseau du Zimbabwe serait la liaison ancestrale avec le ciel entre le peuple Shona et ses ancêtres
et est parfois appelé Shiri ya Mwari, l'Oiseau Dieu.
 

 The iconic stone carved Zimbabwe Bird is an emblem of Zimbabwe. It has appeared on the national flags and coats of arms. The overall shape of the birds suggests that they represent a bateleur eagle a bird with great significance in Shona culture. The bateleur or chapungu is a good omen, the symbol of a protective spirit and a messenger of the gods. The Zimbabwe Bird is believed to be an ancestral link with the heavens between the Shona and their ancestors and is sometimes called Shiri ya Mwari, the Bird of God:



Exemple de scultures réalisées dans la région: