Glossary: Kingdoms of southern Africa: Mapungubwe, Thulamela and Great Zimbabwe

Published: 7 Apr 2015
Updated: 20 Jul 2026

Key terms with definitions for this topic

Islam: the Muslim religion, based on belief in one God and revealed through Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah

Kingdom: an area controlled by a particular person or where a particular thing or idea is important

Manuscript: a copy of a book, piece of music, etc. before it has been printed

Mecca: a city in Saudi Arabia that is the holiest city of Islam, being the place where the Prophet Muhammad was born

Mosque: a building in which Muslims worship

Pilgrimage: a journey to a holy place for religious reasons

Scholar: a person who knows a lot about a particular subject because they have studied it in detail

Slave: a person who is owned by another person and is forced to work for them

Trade: the activity of buying and selling or of exchanging goods or services between people or countries

Trans- Saharan: Across the Saharan desert

World Heritage Site: a natural or man-made place that is recognized as having great international importance and is therefore protected

Source: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2015, April 7). Glossary: Kingdoms of southern Africa: Mapungubwe, Thulamela and Great Zimbabwe. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/nr/ref/A-0099242

South African History Online (2015) 'Glossary: Kingdoms of southern Africa: Mapungubwe, Thulamela and Great Zimbabwe', South African History Online, 7 April. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/nr/ref/A-0099242 (Accessed: 21 July 2026).

South African History Online, Glossary: Kingdoms of southern Africa: Mapungubwe, Thulamela and Great Zimbabwe [website], https://sahistory.org.za/nr/ref/A-0099242, (accessed 21 July 2026).

"Glossary: Kingdoms of southern Africa: Mapungubwe, Thulamela and Great Zimbabwe." South African History Online, 7 Apr. 2015, https://sahistory.org.za/nr/ref/A-0099242. Accessed 21 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Glossary: Kingdoms of southern Africa: Mapungubwe, Thulamela and Great Zimbabwe." South African History Online. April 7, 2015. https://sahistory.org.za/nr/ref/A-0099242.