Which country contains the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe contains the ancient city and archaeological site of Great Zimbabwe.

Great Zimbabwe was built between about the 11th and 15th centuries by ancestors of the Shona peoples. The settlement was a major centre in the medieval Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which prospered through farming, cattle keeping and long-distance trade. Its stone structures were built without mortar.

The site’s most famous areas include the Great Enclosure, the Hill Complex and the Valley Ruins. The Great Enclosure contains a massive curved wall and a distinctive conical tower. Archaeologists have found imported objects, including Chinese and Persian ceramics, showing that the settlement participated in Indian Ocean trade networks.

European colonial-era interpretations wrongly attributed Great Zimbabwe to foreign builders, reflecting racist assumptions about African history. Modern archaeology firmly connects the site to local African societies. Zimbabwe adopted its modern name from Great Zimbabwe after independence in 1980. The site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.