Great Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe is a medieval stone city in the southeastern hills of present-day Zimbabwe. Built between the 11th and 15th centuries by ancestors of the Shona people, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe and a major trading centre linked to the Swahili Coast and the Indian Ocean trade. The ruins include the Great Enclosure — the largest ancient structure in sub-Saharan Africa south of the Sahara — whose dry-stone walls stand up to 11 metres high. The Hill Complex and Valley Ruins demonstrate sophisticated urban planning and engineering without mortar. The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and gives its name to the modern nation of Zimbabwe (meaning "houses of stone" in Shona).