Khami Ruins National Monument

Khami Ruins, located 22 km west of Bulawayo, was the capital of the Torwa dynasty from 1450 to 1650 AD. This UNESCO World Heritage Site features impressive dry-stone architecture and offers insights into Zimbabwe’s rich history.

Planning your visit

Khami was the capital of the Torwa dynasty from around 1450 to 1650, founded after Great Zimbabwe declined, and it represents the next phase of the same building tradition. The architecture is distinct: rather than the free-standing enclosure walls of Great Zimbabwe, Khami's builders faced natural hillsides with dry-stone retaining walls to create terraced platforms, decorated with chequer, herringbone and cord patterns in the stonework.

Excavation has produced imported goods — Chinese and Portuguese porcelain, Spanish silverware, glass beads — demonstrating that this inland African capital was connected to Indian Ocean trade networks reaching to Asia and Europe.

The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and sees relatively few visitors, which means walking it in near solitude.

It lies 22 kilometres west of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city, which also gives access to Matobo National Park with its granite hills and rock art. Bookable options include full-day Bulawayo city tours incorporating Khami. Current availability is shown below.