Great Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe was a city in the south-eastern hills of present-day Zimbabwe, near Masvingo, settled from around 1000 AD and serving from the 13th century as the capital of the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe. Built by ancestors of the Shona people between the 11th and 15th centuries, its stone enclosures form the largest stone structure built in Southern Africa before European colonization, spanning about 7.22 square kilometers. Population estimates vary, with recent archaeological and statistical modeling suggesting no more than 10,000 residents at its peak, though earlier estimates ran as high as 20,000. The city was abandoned in the 16th or 17th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.