Royal Hill of Ambohimanga

The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, some twenty kilometres northeast of Antananarivo, is the spiritual and political cradle of the Merina kingdom that unified Madagascar in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its royal city, burial ground and sacred forests form an ensemble that Malagasy people still hold in deep reverence, coming to pray and make offerings at a place they regard as the heart of their national identity. Behind massive stone gateways stand the timber royal residences, ceremonial courtyards, sacred pools and centuries-old trees, all bound up with the memory of King Andrianampoinimerina and his successors. The site preserves the traditions, rituals and craftsmanship of Merina royalty and remains a living place of pilgrimage. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 as an exceptional testimony to the cultural and religious life of highland Madagascar.