Echoes in Stone: The Architectural Marvel of Great Zimbabwe

Among historians such as Al-Umari and Joseph Ki-Zerbo, the consensus is that the Mali Empire

was the largest and most influential African empire of the XIII century. Some five thousand miles

from this powerful empire, another African superpower was in its infancy - the Kingdom of

Zimbabwe. As the Kingdom was building its reputation throughout southern Africa, its capital

city, Great Zimbabwe, erected imposing buildings. The remains of these buildings have been

preserved with the beauty of the city.

Historian Amadou Ba states that at its height, between the XIII and XIV century, the Kingdom of

Zimbabwe had a population of 18,000. While its first inhabitants came from the northern

Kingdom of Mapungubwe, skeletal evidence shows that Bantu-speaking peoples, such as the

Batonga, inhabited the city when the XV century structures were built.

At the heart of Great Zimbabwe was a fortress built with large, heavy stones. The first building

erected in the fortress was called the Acropolis and dominated the city’s hilltop. Excavations and

archeological studies revealed a building that was intentionally built for defensive strength.

Unwavering and enduring, the Acropolis was bastion-like and indomitable. The second building,

called the Elliptical, was located on a plain below the Acropolis. The two buildings were made of

flat bricklite stones and locally sourced granite. The complex was built between the end of the

XIII century and the beginning of the XIV century. Later, in the XV century, a colossal girdling

wall was erected. The massive wall boasted a height of 24 feet, with a base of 18 feet which

tapered to an 11 foot top. An impressive herringbone pattern decorated 50 meters of the wall.

Today, the dwellings contained within the ruins are considered typical medieval African

constructions. Further excavations revealed objects such as gold jewelry or copper objects also

typical of the African medieval period. In addition, objects that were imported from the Far East,

such as pearls, were also dated back to the XIV and XV century. The architecture of these

buildings show dignity, strength and seclusion which, at first sight, point to a lonely Kingdom.

However, Great Zimbabwe was an important political and commercial center. While there are

limited historical records, we know that in the XV century King Nyatsimba Mutotawe expanded

the political strength of the Kingdom. The city also played a major role in the development of

commerce and trade with the Arabo-Swahili ports of Kiloa and the Sofala near the coast of the

Indian Ocean. Thus began trade with the Far East.

At the end of the XV century, the south of the Kingdom gained autonomy, making the territorial

dislocation more pronounced. The empire disappeared, leaving only the Monomotapa territory

which would not become an empire until the XVII century.