ANGOLA ~ The Cathedral of Saint Savior of Congo - Mbanza Congo - UNESCO ~

... View of the ruins of one of the oldest places of Christian worship in sub-Saharan Africa outside Ethiopia known as Kulumbimbi... the first centuries-old Portuguese Christian church built by the Jesuits in 1491 and elevated to a cathedral in 1596... located in the center of the city of Mbanza Congo (capital of the Zaire province) next to the cemetery of the kings of Congo... this adobe and stone walls, which fuses indigenous African and European architectural styles, have survived centuries of modification, conflict and ultimately abandonment...  nowadays only ruins remain; however, they have aroused the interest of national and international experts due to the rarity of their architectural aspect... Thanks a lot Alena! (✿◠‿◠) 

This ruined capital of the former kingdom, Mbanza Kongo, lies near the country’s northern border. The vast realm was established in the late 14th century and lasted into the 1900s. At its height, the kingdom stretched from what is now Gabon, down through the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo and into northern Angola. While other parts of the former kingdom took on the name ‘Congo’, modern-day Mbanza Kongo, capital of northern Zaire Province, retains its pre-colonial spelling. 

The city boasts a respected museum dedicated to the kingdom’s monarchs that houses cultural artefacts and royal portraits. Today’s Mbanza Kongo is an important market for regional produce, including corn, almonds and cassava.

Mbanza Kongo was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017.
 

Stamp:

Traditional Ceramics 

(Issued 01-01-1995)