Urban studies

Of the buildings of the continent south of the Sahara, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe are perhaps the best known. This complex of stone enclosures was built on sites established as early as the 3 Cen. • –The first Shona phase of building was probably begun six centuries later and continued until the 15th century, when, under the Mwene Mtapa or “Ravager of the Lands” • –Great Zimbabwe was the heart of a thriving trading empire from the 11-15 Cen. –The architectural forms ofGreat Zimbabwe, however, are atypical of many African architectural styles. –The site has a massive defensive wall and, included in the elliptical building, a conicaltowerof unknown purpose. It is also monumental in scale, having functioned as a royal citadel, and it has become a national symbol. –The wordzimbabwe,the country‟s namesake, is aShonaword meaning “stone houses.”