The Great Zimbabwe: reflection on my travels in continental Africa

When I was asked to teach about Africa at my local school, one of the subjects on my mind has always been the history of the Great Zimbabwe, a place which was attributed to aliens in the historical past. With time, perceptions changed as people realised that it was the locals who had built this place. 

When I encountered the site, I could understand why, though this was further from the truth, as the ancestors of the Shona people (part of the Bantu peoples of Southern Africa) were responsible for building such structures. History has it that the ancestors of the Shona built Mapungubwe in South Africa, given the striking resemblance of the structures. As someone with a construction background, what amazes me is how tall buildings were constructed without cranes or machinery. Of course, of the same can be said of the pyramids at Giza in Egypt.

Great Zimbabwe has been my first choice of destination each time l visit Zimbabwe, the reason being the way it was constructed, to an ordinary person, there is nothing spectacular except that it is a beautiful tourist attraction. When I last visited Zimbabwe a few years ago, I felt a very strong connection to the ruins in a spiritual sense; it raised my consciousness on how great God is. I sometimes get the same feeling when l go to the seaside, and I remember my trip to Northumberland, a place sometimes referred to as the “Holy Island”, there has always been a sense of awe for me. Perhaps it could be the same feeling by those who have been to Stonehenge, I don’t know, what I found is that it’s difficult to put into words my kind of feelings. However, the impact that it had on my own spirituality and understanding made me have a deeper appreciation of the people who built the place.

The ruins of Zimbabwe

When we entered the ruins at Great Zimbabwe with my family, the security warden cautioned us not to engage in ancestral worship, since this was against the code of conduct of the place. This was essential to ensure that the place remains inclusive; however, the thought of ancestral worship made me laugh; it also made me realise that perhaps I was in for a treat, but also that I could stop thinking of mythological stories that I have come across, especially the Holy mountains and so forth. I could feel in my stomach that this encounter with the ruins was going to result in some kind of shift in myself. Little did I know that when I left the place, it was as if I had become another person; my appreciation of the place was like no other. I have ever since written papers and book chapters where I capture the brilliance of the Great Zimbabwe. 

The history of the Great Zimbabwe

The Great Zimbabwe was one of the first civilisations in southern Africa. It was a place where trade took place across the world, and there is a rich history of the place. The ancestors of the Shona gave us a template of how we should improve our environment and how to be innovative. Clearly, given the time when they were constructing these structures, one will notice that there was great skill on display, given the near-perfect workmanship. It only reminded me of those master craftspeople who are identified in the Bible as Oholiab and Bezalel (see Exodus 31:1-6) who were enabled by God to construct the tabernacle. Their hands were empowered to do work, to create tools and to work at construction.  

Conclusion

I have been one who likes to make people aware of my visit to the Great Zimbabwe; however, what I have realised is that people usually think it’s another word just to describe Zimbabwe, and I suppose the word “Great” might be mistaken for me being appreciative of the country of my birth. 

Whilst historians and anthropologists agree that this was the site where the birth of modern Zimbabwe took place. Zimbabwe means a “house of stones” and from the Great Zimbabwe, we notice a deserted Kingdom that flourished in the 13th century, and what was also noticed was how water was conserved and water harvesting techniques like no other, and how people managed to water their crops using sophisticated irrigation systems (Mark 6:3). 

To some extent, what was seen at Great Zimbabwe has amazed several modern scholars, and as an African, it made me realise how much talent the people had; imagine tall structures being constructed without the use of Cranes. To me, it is also no coincidence that Jesus was a carpenter, with most people believing that he was a builder and as part of his apprenticeship, he must have been an all-rounder, what we could call nowadays a jack of all trades (see Mark 6:3).