Marc and Karen's Photos of
Z I M B A B W E

Page Three

Miscellaneous and
Ruins of Great Zimbabwe

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Please note that all of the photos on these pages have been reduced—by 50% or more—simply to speed up the downloading process on your computer. Most (or all) of these thumbnails probably are too small to make for satisfying viewing, however larger versions of them all are online here, too. Each of these photos acts as a hyperlink—just click on any, and you'll be taken to the bigger shot.



These trees (baobabs) obviously get huge. Here's one by a chalet at Gonarezhou National Park, for scale. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO. . . . Here's what we THOUGHT was a baby Baobab tree, but then someone told us it's probably an impala lily. Oh, well, it's cute anyway! CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO. . . . Here's one of MANY spray-painted campaign signs for the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party. Most were either painted on the back sides of street signs, like this one, or just on the asphalt--especially at busier intersections. The MDC did quite respectably in the last election, during the summer. Will be interesting to see how long Mugabe really can stay in power... CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO.



Line break: Great Zimbabwe National Park. (Sorry, this one is an exception--there's no larger version of it... it's just a line break, after all... :-)

Great Zimbabwe National Monument

Great Zimbabwe was the largest city in medieval black Africa. The wall around the Great Enclosure (seen below) is over 250m/800ft long and uses 15,000 tons of stone blocks. At its height, the population was well over 100,000.

People were farmers and their wealth was measured in cattle, which could be sold and passed on to children as an inheritance. There were coppersmiths working at Great Zimbabwe, and tools of iron were imported from Mozambique (where there are rich iron mines). Gold was also mined, usually by families combing through dry river beds, although it was on a small scale.

Cotton was woven on a simple loom using wooden shuttles and combs. Great Zimbabwe was not near a source of cotton, but much imported cotton was spun into thread there.

The architectural style at Great Zimbabwe is most striking. It is different from anything else found in Africa. The designers used the boulders on the hill as part of the buildings, and the curving stone walls fitted between the great stones is quite impressive.

We had a great time here and hope you like these (few) photos.




Flowering aloe trees at Great Zimbabwe National Monument. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO. . . . The Hill Complex of ruins, towering above. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO. . . . Hill Complex. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO.


The Great Enclosure. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO.. . . Karen near the entrance of the hill complex. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO. . . . Large conical tower within the great enclosure--definitely the most famous (and most photographed) of ruins at Great Zimbabwe. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO.


Marc reading inside the Great Enclosure. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO.. . . At the Valley Enclosures, recreated Shona housing in the background. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO.. . . Marc at Great Zimbabwe's Valley Enclosures. CLICK HERE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION OF THIS PHOTO.



This is the last page of this series—congratulations if you've somehow survived viewing all of the pages!



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Created:
September 8, 2000










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