Africa possess some beautiful sites rich in history, we take a look at some interesting sites and their historical backgrounds.

Great Zimbabwe

During the 11th to 15th century, Great Zimbabwe was the heart of a thriving trading empire that was based on cattle husbandry, agriculture, and the gold trade on the Indian Ocean coast. The extensive stone ruins of this African Iron Age city are located in the southeastern portion of the modern-day country of Zimbabwe. It is thought that the central ruins and surrounding valley supported a Shona population of 10,000 to 20,000 people. The site is known for its stonework and other evidence of an advanced culture.

Timbuktu

Located on the southern edge of the Sahara in what is now Mali, the city of Timbuktu has historical significance for being a trading post on the trans-Saharan caravan route and as a center of Islamic culture in the 15th through the 17th century. The city was a center of Islamic learning and housed a large collection of historical African and Arabic manuscripts, many of which were smuggled out of Timbuktu beginning in 2012, after Islamic militants who had seized control of the city began damaging or destroying many objects of great historical and cultural value.

The Kasbah of Telouet

The Kasbah of Telouet is a historical and popular tourist destination located on the old caravan route towards Ouzarzate and the Sahara just outside Marrakech. The Kasbah looks out to the Imarene River, and visitors are able to walk through a number of beautifully decorated rooms, including the harem and the reception hall which are decorated in the Andalusian style of interior design. The Kasbah was never completed, and some parts of the building are deteriorating. Tour guides are available to take visitors around the Kasbah while sharing some history of the family and the era at a cost of $2. Visitations can be booked through a travel agent.

The Isimila Stone Age Site

The Isimila Stone Age Site is a historically rich archeological site that is located outside of the town of Iringa. Archaeologists have found tools, stone artifacts and bones in a dry bed that was once a shallow lake from what they believe were from the early hominoids that occupied the area. The site preserves artifacts that give a glimpse on the lives and activities of early human and animal civilization, and has beautiful granite rock relieves. A walk through the canons can be booked via a travel agency, and a tour will consist of a brief introduction to the formation of the site and an overview of the fossils and tools displayed before going on a scenic walk through the canyon. The tour takes about 3 hours, and it usually starts early in the morning before temperatures start to soar. Tours can be booked through a travel agency.

Robben Island

Robben Island is a small island located in South Africa’s Table Bay in Cape Town. The island was used as a place of imprisonment, banishment, and isolation for about four centuries, and is significantly known for housing South Africa’s anti-apartheid stalwarts such as former President Nelson Mandela. From 1671, the Dutch began using the island as a prison, an asylum for the mentally ill and military hub, housing criminals, metally ill patients including social outcasts and individuals who disagreed with Dutch rule. UNESCO declared the island as a World Heritage Site because it is a remainder of the country’s history and the triumph of the human spirit against injustice and apartheid. Tours to Robben Island run from Monday to Sunday, with ferries to the island departing from the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town at 9am, 11am and 1pm. Tours take approximately 3 hours to complete, and costs range from $12 to $21 per person.

The Kigali Genocide Memorial, Rwanda

The Kigali Genocide Memorial located in in Gisozi, is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi. It honours the memory of those who lost their lives in 1994 Rwandan genocide through education and peace-building. The memorial has three permanent exhibitions, the largest of which documents the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. There is also a children’s memorial and an exhibition on the history of genocidal violence around the world. Many of the tour guides that take visitors through the memorial are survivors of the attacks. Guided tours can be booked online and prices range from $100 to $150 per group of people, and visitors can take photos and video inside the memorial for a price of $20. Audio tours are also available; prices range from $5 to $15.