Great Zimbabwe Royal Assembly Games

Great Zimbabwe was a city in the south-eastern hills of the modern country of Zimbabwe, near Masvingo.^¹ It was settled from around 1000 CE, and served as the capital of the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe from the 13th century.^¹ It is the largest stone structure in precolonial Southern Africa.^¹ Major construction on the city began in the 11th century until the 15th century, and it was abandoned in the 16th or 17th century.^¹ The edifices were erected by ancestors of the Shona people, currently located in Zimbabwe and nearby countries.^¹ The stone city spans an area of 7.22 square kilometres (2.79 mi2).^¹ Population estimates vary. Earlier estimates suggest a peak population of around 20,000 people.^¹ A recent study using archaeological, ethnographic, and historical evidence, along with statistical modeling suggests that the site's population did not exceed 10,000 people.^¹ The Zimbabwe state centred on it likely covered 50,000 km². It is recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.