Khami Ruins National Monument

Smaller than Great Zimbabwe, the Khami (also called Khame or Kame) ruins are not as well preserved, having been destroyed by fire. The fact that they're less visited than Great Zimbabwe does, however, make for a comfortably less populated excursion.

These forty hectares of crumbling city were once the capital of the Torwa dynasty, which arose from the collapse of the Great Zimbabwe Kingdom in the 16th and 17th century. Cattle and gold brought prosperity, but the area was abandoned during the Ndebele incursions of the 19th century. Legend has it that a war-like tribe from the south was the culprit. Artefacts found at the site such as ritual drinking pots, iron and bronze weapons, copper objects and ivory divining pieces are on display in at Museum of Natural History in Bulawayo, located 22km from here. There is, however, a small museum at Khami.

The Khami ruins include the Torwa king's royal enclosure, located on a hill in the northern section of the ruins, and a cross which it is believed was erected by a contemporary Christian missionary.

The Khami Ruins National Monument was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986.

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