Mutare

Sister cities

• Haarlem

History

Although the city was founded in the late nineteenth century, the region has a long history of trading caravans passing through on the way to the Indian Ocean, from ports such as Sofala, to inland settlements, such as Great Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is also renowned for its soapstone carvings and figurines which are evidence of these trade routes, dating as far back as the late African Iron Age () right up to the colonial period. A large hoard of soapstone carvings, jewellery, weapons, sherds and other objects were found in the vicinity of Mutare by the British archaeologist E M Andrews at the beginning of the twentieth century - they were later donated by the trustees of Cecil Rhodes to the British Museum in 1905. The soapstone figures, which are both anthropomorphic and zoomorphic, might have been part of a votive offering, as they were discovered near what appeared to be an altar. Mutare was founded in 1897 as a fort, about from the border with Mozambique, and is just from the Mozambican port of Beira, earning Mutare the title of "Zimbabwe's Gateway to the Sea". It is sometimes also called "Gateway to the Eastern Highlands". Many Zimbabwean locals refer to it as 'Kumakomoyo' (place of many mountains). There is a border railway station on the railway line from Bulawayo to Beira with a railways mechanical workshop. The area was the site of Chief Mutasa's kraal. In 1890 A. R. Coquhoun was given concessionary rights and Fort Umtali (the fort later became Mutare) was established between the Tsambe and Mutare Rivers. The word mutare originates from the word 'Utare' meaning iron (or possibly meaning gold). The name was probably given to the river as a result of gold being discovered in the Penhalonga valley through which the Mutare River runs. In 1891 the location was moved…

Geography

The town lies north of the Bvumba Mountains and south of the Imbeza Valley. Christmas Pass is a mountain pass that leads into the city from the west. The pass was so named by some of the colonial pioneers who camped at the foot of the pass on Christmas Day 1890. The pass features a winding, dual-carriageway road with scenic views of the surrounding Eastern Highlands. Mutare is home to several tourist attractions such as, the Mutare Museum, the Utopia House Museum dedicated to Kingsley Fairbridge, the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Murahwa Hill, known for its rock paintings and Iron Age village, Cross Kopje with a memorial to Zimbabweans and Mozambicans killed in World War I and a nature reserve Cecil Kopje and Tigers Kloof. The Mutare Boys' High Chapel was constructed in honour of former Old boys who perished in World War II, situated on a hilly knoll at Mutare Boys High (then Umtali Boys High). Mutare is served by rail with daily passenger and freight links to Nyazura, Rusape and Harare. There are three small aerodromes; the smallest is at Mutare Provincial Hospital, a very small light aircraft strip for emergency evacuation (now defunct), a light plane aerodrome in Sakubva near Mutare Teachers College and the Grand Reef Airport just outside the city at Irene. There is a fourth airport, which was constructed in Chiadzwa to carry diamonds for processing in Harare. Despite its tropical location, the city has a humid subtropical climate, of the highland variety moderated by its altitude. Mutare experiences drizzle almost throughout the year. The average annual temperature is , surprisingly low for its moderate altitude (about the same as Harare which is 360 metres higher.) This is due to its sheltered position against the mountain ridge of Cecil Kop which encourages…

Most-observed species

• Variable Sunbird

  Cinnyris venustus (Shaw, 1799) · Aves
  517
• Common Bulbul

  Pycnonotus barbatus (Desfontaines, 1789) · Aves
  483
• Livingstone's Turaco

  Tauraco livingstonii (G.R.Gray, 1864) · Aves
  459
• White-browed Robin-Chat

  Cossypha heuglini Hartlaub, 1866 · Aves
  418
• Bar-throated Apalis

  Apalis thoracica (Shaw, 1811) · Aves
  408
• Black-backed Puffback

  Dryoscopus cubla (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  394
• Miombo Sunbird

  Cinnyris manoensis Reichenow, 1907 · Aves
  376
• Olive Sunbird

  Cyanomitra olivacea (A.Smith, 1840) · Aves
  363

Most recent

• M 4.5 — 2006-05-21
  9 km S of Dorowa Mining Lease, Zimbabwe