What is Great Zimbabwe?
{{Infobox ancient site |name = Great Zimbabwe |native_name = |image = Great-Zimbabwe-2.jpg |alt = |caption = Great Zimbabwe: Tower in the Great Enclosure. |map_type = Zimbabwe |map_alt = |coordinates = {{coord|20|16|S|30|56|E|display=inline,title}} |location = [[Masvingo Province]], Zimbabwe |region = |type = Settlement |part_of = [[Kingdom of Zimbabwe]] |length = |width = |area = {{convert|7.22|km2|acre|abbr=off}} |height = |builder = |material = |built = 11th century |abandoned = 15th century |epochs = Late [[Iron Age]] |cultures = Kingdom of Zimbabwe |dependency_of = |occupants = |event = |excavations = |archaeologists = |condition = |ownership = |management = |public_access = |website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> |notes = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site |child = yes |Official_name = Great Zimbabwe National Monument |ID = 364 |Year = 1986 |Criteria = Cultural: i, iii, vi }} }} '''Great Zimbabwe''' is a ruined city in the south-eastern hills of [[Zimbabwe]]. The site is not far from the country's border with [[Mozambique]], which is in the southeast of the [[Africa]]n continent. Greater Zimbabwe was the capital of the [[Kingdom of Zimbabwe]] during the country’s later [[Iron Age]]. The monument first began to be built in the 11th century, and work continued until the 14th century. It covered an area of 722 hectares (1,780 acres) which might have housed up to 18,000 people. It was a royal city for the Zimbabwean monarch. One of its most prominent features were its walls, some of which were over five metres high and which were constructed without [[Mortar (masonry)|mortar]]. Eventually the city was abandoned and fell into ruin. The [[Kingdom of Zimbabwe]] included the River [[Zambezi]] in the north, the [[Transvaal]] in the south and [[Botswana]] in the east. The people who lived at Great Zimbabwe controlled [[trade]] between the coast and inland Africa. The modern country of [[Zimbabwe]] is named after it. [[Archaeologist]]s have found goods from as far