# Great Zimbabwe

> ruined city in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe near Lake Mutirikwe and the town of Masvingo, was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe during the country's Late Iron Age

**Wikidata**: [Q209217](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q209217)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Zimbabwe)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/great-zimbabwe

## Summary
Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe during the Late Iron Age. It is located in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe near Lake Mutirikwe and the town of Masvingo. The site is a designated World Heritage Site, recognized for its cultural significance.

## Key Facts
- **Instance Of:** Great Zimbabwe is classified as a ruins, an archaeological site, and a city.
- **Location:** It is situated in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe, with coordinates -20.27 latitude and 30.933 longitude, near Lake Mutirikwe and the town of Masvingo.
- **Historical Role:** It served as the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe.
- **Heritage Designation:** It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated in 1986 under criteria (i), (iii), and (vi). Its official name is the Great Zimbabwe National Monument.
- **Area:** The World Heritage Site covers an area of 722 hectares.
- **Part Of:** The city was part of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe.
- **Official Name:** The site is officially known as the Great Zimbabwe National Monument.
- **World Heritage Site ID:** It is listed as World Heritage Site number 364.
- **Sitelink Count:** The entity has 73 sitelinks across Wikimedia projects.
- **Native Label:** The primary name for the site is "Great Zimbabwe".
- **Described By Source:** The site has been described in authoritative sources including the Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition, The Nuttall Encyclopædia, and Meyers Konversations-Lexikon.
- **Maintained by WikiProject:** It is maintained by several WikiProjects, including WikiProject Cities, WikiProject Africa, WikiProject Zimbabwe, WikiProject Architecture, WikiProject Archaeology, WikiProject World Heritage Sites, WikiProject Oral tradition, and WikiProject Anthropology.

## FAQs
**What is Great Zimbabwe?**
Great Zimbabwe is the name given to the extensive stone ruins of a former city, which was the capital of a medieval kingdom. It is one of the most significant archaeological sites in sub-Saharan Africa, located in modern-day Zimbabwe.

**Where is Great Zimbabwe located?**
The ruins are located in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe, specifically in Masvingo Province. The site is near Lake Mutirikwe and is close to the town of Masvingo.

**Why is Great Zimbabwe a UNESCO World Heritage Site?**
Great Zimbabwe was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1986 for its outstanding universal value. It meets three criteria: representing a masterpiece of human creative genius (i), bearing a unique testimony to a cultural tradition (iii), and being directly associated with events of universal significance (vi).

**What was the historical significance of Great Zimbabwe?**
Historically, Great Zimbabwe was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe during the region's Late Iron Age. It was a major center of trade and political power before its decline.

## Why It Matters
Great Zimbabwe is of immense importance as the largest and most significant stone ruin complex in sub-Saharan Africa south of the Sahara. It stands as a powerful testament to the architectural and organizational sophistication of a pre-colonial African civilization, challenging outdated narratives that denied such achievements. The site provides crucial evidence of state development, long-distance trade networks, and cultural innovation in medieval southern Africa. Its designation as a World Heritage Site underscores its value to all humanity, preserving a unique cultural heritage that continues to be a source of national pride and scholarly inquiry.

## Notable For
- Being the largest ancient stone structure in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Serving as the capital of a major medieval African kingdom, the Kingdom of Zimbabwe.
- Its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site based on three distinct criteria.
- Its extensive area, covering 722 hectares as part of the World Heritage designation.
- The variety of names and aliases it is known by in different languages and contexts, reflecting its global recognition.

## Body

### Classification and Description
Great Zimbabwe is formally classified as ruins, an archaeological site, and a city. Its native label is "Great Zimbabwe," and it is also officially known as the Great Zimbabwe National Monument. The entity is described as a ruined city in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe during the country's Late Iron Age.

### Location and Geography
The site is geographically located in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. Its precise coordinates are latitude -20.27 and longitude 30.933. It is situated near Lake Mutirikwe and is in close proximity to the town of Masvingo. The area designated as the World Heritage Site encompasses 722 hectares.

### Historical and Political Context
Great Zimbabwe was an integral part of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, serving as its capital city. This places its primary period of significance during the Late Iron Age of the region.

### Heritage Status and Recognition
Great Zimbabwe holds the prestigious status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was inscribed in 1986 under the identification number 364. The site meets three World Heritage criteria: (i), (iii), and (vi). The official names for the designation in various languages include "Great Zimbabwe National Monument," "Monument national du Grand Zimbabwe," and "大津巴布韦国家纪念地," among others.

### External Identifiers and References
The entity is referenced by a wide array of external identifiers from major knowledge bases and libraries, indicating its significance across different systems of cataloging. These include:
- **Fast ID:** 1896838
- **VIAF ID:** 316429346
- **Pleiades ID:** 322739224
- **Library of Congress Authority ID:** sh85057020
- **Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID:** place/Great-Zimbabwe
- **BBC Things ID:** 74b02939-d8b2-4006-8be7-40a8bd4c01b8
- **World Historical Gazetteer Place ID:** 14154086

### Alternate Names and Multilingual Coverage
Great Zimbabwe is known by numerous aliases in different languages, demonstrating its international profile. These aliases include Zimbabye, Gran Zimbabwe, Monumento Nacional del Gran Zimbabue, Grand Zimbabwe, Groß-Zimbabwe, グレート・ジンバブエ, and Большой Зимбабве, among many others. Wikipedia has articles about Great Zimbabwe in over 70 languages, including af, ar, de, en, es, fr, ja, pt, ru, and zh.

### Wikimedia Project Context
Within the Wikimedia ecosystem, the entity is a focus of multiple collaborative projects, including WikiProject Cities, WikiProject Africa, WikiProject Zimbabwe, WikiProject Architecture, WikiProject Archaeology, WikiProject World Heritage Sites, WikiProject Oral tradition, and WikiProject Anthropology. It is also listed on Wikipedia's Vital articles list at Level 4 as of October 31, 2022. The site has a Commons gallery and category dedicated to it.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. BBC Things
4. World Heritage Site
5. ASC Leiden Thesaurus dataset of 5 June 2018