Eastern Africa
Discover Chinhoyi Sleeping Pool, Chiremba Balancing Rocks, Great Zimbabwe — Great Enclosure and more.
Explore 6 illustrated places, read the stories behind them and look closer on the globe.
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nature
Chinhoyi’s cave system is formed in limestone and dolomite. Its main cave contains the clear blue water known as the Sleeping Pool, or Chirorodziva. Rock shelves, overhangs and the contrast between shadow and water make the pool’s setting distinctive. This is a view into a cave, not an open surface lake or a coastline. The broader system includes other chambers, which should not be imagined from a single visible opening.
geology
The Chiremba Balancing Rocks stand southeast of Harare. Broad, irregular boulders meet at narrower contacts, creating a profile that appears surprising even though the stones remain connected. The formation’s weathered surfaces and uneven outlines distinguish it from a sculpture or masonry structure. Reading the contacts and layers helps reveal the physical form behind the familiar silhouette. The named group is one part of a larger rocky setting at Epworth.
Source: Zimbabwe Tourism Authority
history
South of Great Zimbabwe’s hill ruins, the Great Enclosure brings a great medieval African city into focus. Its curving granite walls surround smaller divisions and a narrow passage leading toward a conical tower. UNESCO dates this elliptical enclosure to the fourteenth century and describes the wider monument as evidence of the Shona civilisation. Look past the imposing outer wall: the passages and internal divisions reveal an organised place with many connected spaces. The scene concentrates on this enclosure rather than the whole city.
Source: whc.unesco.org
archaeology
Khami developed as a capital of the Torwa dynasty after the decline of Great Zimbabwe. Its platforms and retaining walls include carefully arranged chevron and chequered decoration. Imported objects, including porcelain and stoneware, provide archaeological evidence of long-distance trade connecting this inland centre with a wider world.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
nature
A white ribbon of water descends beside a steep, forest-fringed cliff at Mutarazi Falls.
Source: www.farandwide.co.zw
engineering
Victoria Falls Bridge opened in 1905 as a major crossing of the Zambezi gorge. Its steel arch supports the straight deck from below, joining the two sides with a structure made for rail and road movement. The bridge links Zimbabwe and Zambia, so its history belongs to more than one country. Looking beneath the deck reveals the connected ribs and bracing that make the span work. The bridge is distinct from the nearby falls themselves.
Source: Zambia Tourism / Zimbabwe-Zambia cross-border bridge
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