Kulumbimbi is the first church built in sub-Saharan Africa by Catholic missionaries who were part of the first Portuguese expedition led by Diogo Cão and arrived in Angola in 1482. The landing site at the mouth of the Zaire River has a standard Ponta do Padrão), in Soyo, Zaire Province.
Legend has it that the temple was built of stone and lime for one night. Today it is in ruins. The church is located in the center of the city of Mbanza Congo, next to the cemetery of Congo kings.
Documents of the time belied the legend. The construction works of the church of Kulumbimbi were executed between May 6 and July 6, 1491. The ruins have attracted the interest of national and foreign specialists because of the rarity of its architectural aspect.
It is the largest symbol of Mbanza Kongo, as the capital of the Kingdom of Kongo and its hybrid nature, church and cemetery that seem to have another meaning of the word Kulumbimbi gives it the identity status of the kingdom, because the whole community of the Kingdom of the Kongo is recognized independently of the religion that professes.