Zimbabwe

Named for the stone city of Great Zimbabwe, the country is renowned for Shona stone sculpture and mbira music.

Crafts Music & dance Building & habitat Spirituality & rites Food & cooking

Knowledge in this place

Shona stone sculpture

Shona stone sculpture

Hand-carved serpentine and verdite figures rooted in Shona spiritual themes.

Mbira dzavadzimu

Mbira dzavadzimu

A thumb piano played to summon ancestral spirits at bira ceremonies.

Great Zimbabwe masonry

Great Zimbabwe masonry

Dry-stone walls built without mortar by the medieval Shona kingdom.

Building & habitat

Jerusarema dance

Jerusarema dance

A Zezuru drum-and-dance tradition of athletic, suggestive movement.

Spirituality & rites

Sadza

A thick maize-meal staple eaten with relish of greens, beans or meat.