Angola

Mbanza Kongo

WHS Score 3.48
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Votes for Mbanza Kongo

4.5

  • Sascha Grabow

Mbanza Kongo, Vestiges of the Capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo, represents the political and religious centre of a vast African kingdom that was transformed by the arrival of the Portuguese in the late 15th century.

The site (now a town of some 175,000 inhabitants) is located on a plateau. It comprises both archaeological remains of the precolonial period as well as colonial structures – often overlapping each other. The Kingdom of Kongo has strong intangible links with the slave trade and the early conversion of African kings to the Catholic religion (with a Cathedral and Jesuit College in place from the early 17th century).

Community Perspective: this site has been unreviewed so far.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Mbanza Kongo, vestiges of the capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo (ID: 1511)
Country
Angola
Status
Inscribed 2017 Site history
History of Mbanza Kongo
2017: Inscribed
Inscribed
2016: Incomplete - not examined
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • iii
  • iv
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • July 9, 2018 allafrica.com — France Promises More Support to Mbanza Kongo World Heritage Site

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Archaeological site: Civilizations of Sub-Saharan Africa

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