“To know nothing of what happened before you, is to forever remain a child.” – Cicero
Zimbabwe is a nation rich in culture and history, though some of it is not fully documented, stories are passed down from generation to generation of where we came from and how people lived in the old days. These stories are etched in people’s minds, traditions, places and even buildings. At Tiritose Sustainable Travel, one of our mandates is to tell the Zimbabwean story as it is and educate travellers who go on tour with us so that they truly experience Zimbabwe in its glorious entirety, both past and present.
We offer a tour which takes groups to sites of historical, political and cultural importance in Zimbabwe. These have played a major role in the history, and the politics of the country. Most importantly, these highlight the social context of life in Southern Africa. For groups that want to deepen & sharpen their intellectual and cultural understanding of Africa, Zimbabwe offers the best possible opportunity. Unique migration patterns, native customs, natural landscapes, and pristine wildlife make the experience surpass any other. Here’s a quick look at some of these places.
Harare
The capital city of Zimbabwe, affectionately known as “The Sunshine City” was founded on September 12, 1890 as part of colonial Rhodesia. Located in the northeastern part of the country, Harare’s pre-colonial as well as post-colonial records pertaining to its evolution and name change makes it worthy of mention when we talk about the heritage of Zimbabwe. According to history records the city was previously known as Harawa during pre-colonial times (pre-1889) and was ruled by a Shona Chief by name Neharawa. It was later changed to Harare, a corruption of Havarari, meaning ‘They never sleep’. Harare is rich with the history of Zimbabwe both pre and post-colonial and we see it every day in the streets but not many people know the stories. Robert Mugabe street is populated with buildings from the colonial era and you can see the old road signs if you look closely as you walk along the road. Other places to note when visiting Harare include the National Art Gallery, Heroes’ Acre and National Railway.
Domboshava Caves
Domboshava is a small village situated about 27km from Harare in the Mashonaland central region. The entire village is surrounded by granite hills. Inside the Domboshava park there is a granite hill, which is considered a National Monument of Zimbabwe with amazing rock formations formed and forged by erosion at the top. There are caves on the hill, which have rock paintings dating back 6000 years. It is believed that the mountain was a gathering place for rain ceremonies. People would gather on the mountain singing and dancing for rain. This ritual was very common in the Shona culture. The rock paintings show how people lived and interacted with the environment and the views from the mountain are breathtaking while the sunset is definitely instagram worthy.
The BaTonga Community Museum
We have all heard about Kariba time and again but sometimes we tend to forget the other side of the story, the BaTonga people who lived in the area now occupied by the dam, bridge and hydropower station. According to historical archives, the BaTonga peoples arrived in Zimbabwe in about AD 300. The BaTonga Community Museum contains historical and educational information about the culture and life of the BaTonga people. The museum is located in Binga on the shores of Lake Kariba. The BaTonga tribe had a culture focused around fishing and growing crops, along with hunting and gathering. This traditional way of life was largely disrupted by the construction of the grand Lake Kariba, the nation’s largest lake, in 1956. The museum showcases the ways and life of this ancient group of people through the centuries. As we praise the beautiful sunset on lake Kariba it is also important to learn and appreciate how it all came to be.
The Great Zimbabwe Ruins
The Great Zimbabwe Ruins is a medieval city in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe and is recognised as Africa’s largest stone structure apart from the pyramids (Call it our Atlantis). Its stone walls measure up to six metres thick and a staggering 12 metres high, and are built of granite blocks, impressively without the use of a single speck of mortar to hold them together!
The structure is believed to have been built by the Shona-speaking people of the Gokomere Culture between AD 1250 and AD 1450. Archaeologists recovered artefacts including pottery, iron, ivory, bronze and porcelain from China and Persia suggesting that the place was a hive of international trade. A collection of soapstone birds (Hungwe) have been discovered at the site and are now recognised as the national emblem of the country. Part of the ‘city’ is designed as a maze, which is now used as a tourist trail and in some cases the trails will be closed off because they are believed to be guarded by baboons. Our Tiritose Sustainable Travel clients have an opportunity to visit the Chesvingo Cultural Village as well as the Rhinos and bridge around Lake Mutirikwi.
Chinhoyi Caves
This is a place filled with mystery and wonder. Traditionally, the Chinhoyi Caves are called “Chirorodziva”, which translates to “Pool of the Fallen” or “The Sleeping Pool”. Most people believe that the name was inspired by an incident involving the Nguni Tribe, which flung a group of Shona warriors who were living near the caves into the pool in the 1830s. Legend has it that the caves were used by a Shona chief to hide his people in times of war to keep them safe from harm. They used the Caves as their stronghold and killed many victims by throwing them into the Silent Pool.
Chinhoyi Caves is a geological wonder, which is a must see when traveling to Zimbabwe. The water in the Silent Pool maintains a constant temperature of 22 degrees celsius at any time of the year and the underground tunnels of the pool which have been explored all lead back to the main pool. Some stories mention a tunnel which connects the caves to Kariba (but that’s a story for another day). We are super excited about the newly established Kore Kore Cultural Village that will be unveiled soon. The Chinhoyi Caves excursion will now include the caves, the cultural village and the Chinhoyi 7 monument & heroes acre that celebrates the lives of the first heroes of the liberation war of independence.
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