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

World Heritage
Angola
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Located on a plateau at 570 meters above sea level, the town of Mbanza Kongo was the political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, one of the largest states in southern Africa from the 14th to the 19th century. The historic area developed around the royal palace, customary courts and sacred trees, as well as royal funeral sites. When the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century, they added stone buildings built according to European methods and constructed with local materials to the existing urban agglomeration. Mbanza Kongo, more than anywhere else in sub-Saharan Africa, reflects the profound changes brought about by the introduction of Christianity and the Portuguese presence in Central Africa.

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