The legacy of this Hindu empire is still reflected in many local place names. Between Natal, and Mpumalanga, South Africa, near the Swaziland border with South Africa, one finds the name Komati everywhere. This is also the region where Shebe, the richest gold mine in the world, is situated. Komati Gorge, Komati River, Lomati River, Komatiland and Komatipoort. It’s not much of a stretch to see that Komati is a contraction of the name Komates.
It is estimated that there are over 20,000 ancient stone ruins scattered throughout the mountains of southern Africa.
The most impressive of these is The Great Zimbabwe. This sprawling structure is thought to have been built in the 11th century AD. The walls extend 250 metres (820 feet) in length, are 11 metres (36 feet) high in places and are 5 metres (16 feet) thick in parts. The ruins span 7 square kilometres (1,800 acres) and cover a radius of 160 to 320 kilometres (100 to 200 miles). At its peak, estimates are that Great Zimbabwe had as many as 18,000 inhabitants.
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