Great Zimbabwe (redirected from Great Zimabawe)

Great Zimbabwe

Extensive stone ruins in southeastern Zimbabwe. Located southeast of Masvingo, Zimbabwe, it is the largest of many such ruins in southern Africa. The primary ruins of this former city extend more than 60 acres (24 hectares) and include a hilltop fortress and walls of stone monoliths. The centre of a great inland empire ruled by the Karanga (Shona) people who traded on the shores of the Indian Ocean, Great Zimbabwe flourished between the 11th and 15th centuries. Portuguese explorers probably encountered the ruins in the 16th century, but it was not until the late 19th century that the existence of the ruins was confirmed, generating much archaeological research. Great Zimbabwe was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986.