African UNESCO World Heritage Sites you have to see
Africa is home to over a 100 UNESCO world heritage sites and these are the top six must-visit heritage sites across the continent.
There are more than 100 UNESCO world heritage sites in sub-Saharan Africa. Here is a list of eight must-visit world heritage sites across the continent.
SA MUST-VISIT HERITAGE SITES
1. ROBBEN ISLAND
Robben Island, a well-known United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site, was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups, and a military base.
The remains of its past include quarries from the 17th century and administrative buildings from the 19th century that resemble a village. Additionally, there is a small lighthouse, a church dedicated to lepers, abandoned military structures from World War II, and a striking maximum-security prison that was established in the 1960s.
2. THE CRADLE OF HUMANKIND
The Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa, which people also call the Cradle of Humankind, reveal evidence of human presence that goes back as far as 3.3 million years. This world heritage site mainly consists of caves and rocky formations, and it holds the highest number of human ancestral remains in the world.
3. VREDEFORT DOME
The Vredefort Dome, located about 120 km southwest of Johannesburg, is a special part of a huge meteorite impact structure called an astrobleme. It’s the oldest astrobleme ever discovered on Earth, dating back 2 023 million years. Not only is it the oldest, but it’s also the largest and most deeply eroded, with a radius of 190 km. The Vredefort Dome is a witness to the most powerful energy release event ever recorded in the world.
REST OF AFRICA WORLD HERITAGE SITES
4. SEYCHELLES
The Aldabra Atoll, one of the biggest atolls in the world, has managed to stay mostly undisturbed by human actions. As a result, the giant tortoise community on the island has thrived, with over 150 000 living there.
5. ZIMBABWE
Located in southeast Zimbabwe, a group of ancient ruins make up the Great Zimbabwe National Monument. According to an age-old legend it was the capital of the Queen of Sheba. It is a unique testimony to the Bantu civilization of the Shona between the 11th and 15th centuries. The city was an important trading centre and was renowned from the Middle Ages onwards.
The Victoria Falls is a magnificent sight where about 500 million litres of water rushes down a series of gorges per minute. Located on the Zambezi River, one can see mist from these falls more than 20 kilometres away. The waterfall’s name in Sotho is Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning “the smoke that thunders”.
6. SUDAN
The Meroe Pyramids, situated between the Nile and Atbara Rivers, is an archaeological world heritage site that offers a glimpse into the past of the ancient Kingdom of Kush. Part of the site consists of several pyramids which have withstood millennia. People built these ancient structures along what was a major trade route between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
7. LIBYA
Another archaeological world heritage site is Leptis Magna – one of the many North African locations with ancient Roman ruins. The centrepiece of this site is the amphitheatre that people constructed around 56 CE. Phoenicians originally founded the city in the 7th century BC. It was largely preserved by sand until the early 1900s.
8. TANZANIA
The Stone Town of Zanzibar showcases the unique Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa. The city has managed to preserve its urban structure and overall appearance, keeping its historical buildings intact. The Stone Town of Zanzibar is also known as Mji Mkongwe which is Swahili for “old town”. UNESCO describes it as “The Stone Town of Zanzibar is “an outstanding material manifestation of cultural fusion and harmonisation”.