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Mutare (known as Umtali until 1983〔(Names (Alteration) Act Chapter 10:14 )〕) is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe after Gweru, with an urban population of around 188,243 and rural population of around 260,567. It is the capital of Manicaland province. ==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 (c. 900 AD) 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 at the beginning of the twentieth century - they were later donated by the trustees of Cecil Rhodes to the British Museum in 1905.〔British Museum Collection ()〕 The soapstone figures, which are both anthropomorphic and zoomorphic, may have been part of a votive offering, as they were discovered near what appeared to be an altar by the British archaeologist E M Andrews. Mutare was founded in 1897 as a fort, about 8 km from the border with Mozambique, and is just 290 km 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 Harare 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 to a site now known as Old Mutare, about 14 km north of the city centre. In 1896 the construction of the railway between Beira and Bulawayo led to the town being moved a third time so that it was closer to the railway line – compensation was paid by the British South Africa Company to the townspeople for the cost of moving. The town was proclaimed a municipality in 1914 and in 1971 it was granted city status. The name was officially changed from Umtali to Mutare in 1982. There used to be a tramway, which transported passengers from the Railway station up to the (then Umtali Club) now Mutare Club. The Tramway was at the centre of Main Street where the palm trees now stand There were plans to set up a Stock Exchange in Umtali. The main post office was at the site where CABS centre now stands. There is a siren which has a horn audible in almost any location in the city. It rings at the National Railways of Zimbabwe Complex at 7:50 am, 7:00 am 12:00 noon 1:00pm and 4:30pm. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mutare」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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