Mbanza Kongo, Vestiges of the Capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo

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Mbanza Kongo: A Testament to the Rich History of the Former Kingdom of Kongo

Mbanza Kongo, situated in the Zaire Province of Angola, stands as a significant testament to the rich history of the former Kingdom of Kongo. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, this ancient city offers a unique insight into the profound cultural and architectural transformations that occurred when Christianity and European influences met African traditions.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The town of Mbanza Kongo, located on a plateau at an altitude of 570 m, was the political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, one of the largest constituted states in Southern Africa from the 14th to 19th centuries. The historical area grew around the royal residence, the customary court and the holy tree, as well as the royal funeral places. When the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century they added stone buildings constructed in accordance with European methods to the existing urban conurbation built in local materials. Mbanza Kongo illustrates, more than anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa, the profound changes caused by the introduction of Christianity and the arrival of the Portuguese into Central Africa.

Encyclopedia Record: M'banza-Kongo

Mbanza Kongo is the capital of Angola's northwestern Zaire Province with a population of 148,000 in 2014. Mbanza Kongo was the capital of the Kingdom of Kongo since its foundation before the arrival of the Portuguese in 1483 until the abolition of the kingdom in 1915, aside from a brief period of abandonment during civil wars in the 17th century. In 2017, Mbanza Kongo was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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