Guruguru Mountain
Encyclopedia
Guruguru Mountain is a solid dome-shaped volcanic rock in Shurugwi
, Zimbabwe
, near Pakame Mission
. Guruguru, its Shona
name, and Nkulunkulu, its Ndebele
name, both mean "the biggest". It is by far the highest mountain in the Shurugwi Rural Areas
and the Midlands Province
of Zimbabwe.
Guruguru is a solid rock mountain formed when a volcanic
eruption pushed lava up through a central core. It has a radius of over three kilometers and a height of over 500 meters. There is a spring of water at its summit. Little vegetation grows on the mountain except near the base.
It is seen as a great symbol by the locals; some worshippers go to the mountain to pray, and there is also a local church that baptizes its members in the water from the spring. Tradition holds that certain people can consult their ancestors at the mountain.
Shurugwi
Shurugwi, formerly Selukwe, a town and administrative centre in Midlands Province, southern Zimbabwe, located about 350 km south of Harare; population 16,138...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, near Pakame Mission
Pakame Mission
Pakame Mission is a Methodist run boarding school in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe which offers classes up to A-level. The mission is made up of a primary school and a high school....
. Guruguru, its Shona
Shona language
Shona is a Bantu language, native to the Shona people of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia; the term is also used to identify peoples who speak one of the Shona language dialects: Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Ndau and Korekore...
name, and Nkulunkulu, its Ndebele
Northern Ndebele language
The Northern Ndebele language, isiNdebele, or Ndebele is an African language belonging to the Nguni group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the Ndebele or Matabele people of Zimbabwe. It is commonly known as Sindebele....
name, both mean "the biggest". It is by far the highest mountain in the Shurugwi Rural Areas
Shurugwi Rural Areas
Shurugwi Rural Areas also known as Shurugwi District is an area around Shurugwi, Zimbabwe, mainly to the east, beginning 20 km from the town centre. The area between the town and the rural areas was mainly occupied by white commercial farmers. It is thought that at one time, these farms were...
and the Midlands Province
Midlands (Zimbabwe)
Midlands is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 49,166 km² and a population of approximately 1.5 million . Gweru is the capital of the province. It is home to various peoples...
of Zimbabwe.
Guruguru is a solid rock mountain formed when a volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
eruption pushed lava up through a central core. It has a radius of over three kilometers and a height of over 500 meters. There is a spring of water at its summit. Little vegetation grows on the mountain except near the base.
It is seen as a great symbol by the locals; some worshippers go to the mountain to pray, and there is also a local church that baptizes its members in the water from the spring. Tradition holds that certain people can consult their ancestors at the mountain.