- Address: South Africa, prov. Gauteng, Pretoria, Lynwood Road;
- Official website: web.up.ac.za
- Phone: 012 420 5450
Walking through the capital of the South African Republic to the city of Pretoria , be sure to visit the Museum of Maspungubwe - it presents the historical heritage of this state, collected during excavations and archaeological research.
There is a museum on the second floor of the University of Pretoria , which was opened almost one hundred years ago - in 1933. The museum was founded in 2000 and over the years has become one of the tourist, educational and cultural centers of the capital of South Africa .
What do the expositions consist of?
The exposition of the museum is full of many unique exhibits - all of them, without exception, are objects of the UNESCO World Heritage.
In particular, here you can see:
- ornaments from precious metals;
- crafts made of ivory;
- ceramic dishes, figures;
- various objects and things made of copper and iron.
Not surprisingly, this museum received another name - the National Treasury. So, here you can see even a figurine of a rhinoceros, completely made of pure gold.
Most of the exhibits date back to the 10th-13th centuries of our era - they were found as a result of archaeological excavations carried out for several decades.
Originally from the country of Mapungubwe
All the exhibits presented in the museum belong to the state of Maspungubwe, which existed around the 12th century.
As historians have established, this was the first social state in Africa and one of the most ancient kingdoms in this part of the continent. Although the civilization of Mapungubwe itself did not exist for long, the period of its heyday lasted approximately 90 years - from about 1200 to 1290 years.
The state developed through established trade relations with states and kingdoms located on the territory of the following modern countries:
- China;
- Egypt;
- India.
All the artifacts were found within the modern National Park of Mapungubwe, which is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is the most famous archaeological site in the southern part of the African continent.
How to get here?
To get to the Museum of Mapungubwe, first you need to get to Pretoria itself. The flight from Moscow will take at least 20 and a half hours and will require two transplants - the first at the European airport, and the second at the airport in South Africa. The specific airports depend on the chosen route and flight.
The museum is located at: Gauteng Province, Pretoria , Linwood Road. Visiting the museum is free of charge. Its doors are open from Monday to Friday from 8 to 16 hours. The Museum of Maspungubwe is closed on Saturday, Sunday and on public holidays.
For further information: 012 420 5450
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