From Togo to South Africa to Zimbabwe, Africa is home to important historical cultures which have survived through thousands of years. African ruins are also the most amazing historical marks you will ever see. This includes mega-amphitheaters, monolithic towers, and they have stood for thousands of years.
Some ancient African ruins have been eroded due to the passage of time, but they still stand tall telling beautiful stories of the continent.
In this article are African ruins which you need to see:
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The Nok Caves, TOGO
The Nok caves are tucked around cliff sides in Northern Togo. In the 18th and 19th century, they were used as dwellings by the local Moba tribes. The local Moba tribes always had to hid from Tchokossi, a neighboring ethnic group which always attacked the Moba people. The Moba people would often be kidnapped and handed over to European slave traders in exchange for guns and horses.
“Nok” means hidden which perfectly describes what it was used for.
The Nok Cave is home to 134 ancient granary vessels, bows, arrows and quivers of its former inhabitants. Most of the artifacts which were present when the site was found have been looted today.
Adam’s Calendar, SOUTH AFRICA
The Adam’s calendar is a 75,000 year old ruins site. It is also known as the African Stonehenge. The discovery of the Adam’s Calendar was by accident in 2003. It was discovered by a South African Pilot and is thought to be the oldest man-made structure on Earth. It is also called ‘Inzalo Y’langa’, which means ‘Birthplace of the Sun’.
Volubilis, MOROCCO
Volubilis is a Moroccan ruin which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1997. It is a well preserved town which has a number of cultural influences and high antiquity. Today, only have of Volubilis has been excavated, and the site includes mansions of the city’s elite which contains a number of gorgeous, well preserved mosaics. The entrance fee to Volubilis is $3.
Great Zimbabwe, ZIMBABWE
In the late iron age, Great Zimbabwe was the capital of the kingdom. It was a bustling city and had about 18,000 people and spanned over 1,700 acres. It is now the largest ruin in Sub-Saharan Africa. The city was built with an impressive dry-stone technique, and no mortar was required to keep the stones in place.
The ruins are grouped into 3 architecturally. They are:
The Hill Complex;
The Valley Complex;
The Great Enclosure
Luxor Temple, EGYPT
Luxor Temple is the oldest open air museum in the world. It was built in 1400 BC, to worship Amun Ra, the Egyptian God of the Kings and the King of the God. The Luxor Temple was built by Amenhotep III and completed by Tutankhamun and Horemheb. Rameses II added to the final structure.
Kilwa Kisiwani, TANZANIA
Located off the coast of Tanzania, Kilwa Kisiwani (Isle of Fish) used to be the middle of one of the greatest empires in East Africa which peaked from the 13th to the 15th century. The empire ruled from Kenya to Mozambique.
Today the island houses the remaining ruins which includes the Great Mosque, the oldest standing mosque in East Africa. It also houses The Palace of Husuni Kubwa which used to be the largest building in sub-Saharan Africa.
Khami Ruins, ZIMBABWE
After the collapse of the Great Zimbabwe, a new capital of the Zimbabwe kingdom was created. This kingdom was called Khami. It was created between 1450 and 1650. It was built using the similar stone pattern of the Great Zimbabwe.
Khami Ruins is home to the longest decorated wall in Sub-Saharan region and it became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986.
The entrance fee to the Khami Ruins is $10.
Gedi Ruins, KENYA
This settlement stretches from Somalia to Mozambique and is located within the lush, tropical Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. The ruins span 45 acres near the Indian Ocean coast of Eastern Kenya and is surrounded by two walls. Within the confines of its inner walls, you can find numerous coral-brick houses, a palace and an impressive mosque.
These are just a few out of the vast number of ancient African ruins present on the continent.
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