about great zimbabwe

The word Zimbabwe means "stone dwelling" in the Shona language. Thus, Great Zimbabwe is suitably named because it is indeed a great stone dwelling! And it is the largest of about 150 ruins found in the land around the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. The civilization of Great Zimbabwe was one of the most significant civilizations in the world during the Medieval period.  European travelers from Germany, Portugal, and Britain were astonished to learn of this powerful African civilization in the interior of southern Africa. Great Significant example of monumental architecture in southern Africa.Great Zimbabwe became a dominant power in the region, in large part due to its lucrative gold trade with the Arab world, in the latter-part of the 14th century. Beginning in the 16th century the European powers began to take an interest in the lands of Great Zimbabwe, with the Portuguese encroaching on Great Zimbabwe’s lands. The Zula began to encroach on Great Zimbabwe around the same time, helping to weaken the Empire, which was ultimately conquered by the Portuguese in the 17th century. 

Picture