Great Zimbabwe National Monument

Great Zimbabwe: Tower in the Great Enclosure.

Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city in the rugged south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe near Lake Mutirikwe and the city of Masvingo, close to the Chimanimani Mountains and the Chimanimani District. The site is near to the country's border with Mozambique, which is located in the southern tip of the African continent. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe during the country’s Late Iron Age. The monument first began to be constructed in the 11th century and continued to be built until the 14th century, spanning an area of 722 hectares (1,780 acres) which, at its peak, could have housed up to 18,000 people. Great Zimbabwe acted as a royal palace for the Zimbabwean monarch and would have been used as the seat of their political power. One of its most prominent features were its walls, some of which were over five metres high and which were constructed without mortar. Eventually the city was abandoned and fell into ruin.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great Zimbabwe
• Hillman 1000 Wonders