First occupied in the fifteenth century, the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga has long been one of the most important spiritual and historic sites for the Malagasy people. Perched high atop one of the twelve sacred hills of Imerina, it emerged as a fortified political capital and royal palace during the reign of Andriantsimitoviaminandriana (r. 1740–1745). (...)
First occupied in the fifteenth century, the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga has long been one of the most important spiritual and historic sites for the Malagasy people. Perched high atop one of the twelve sacred hills of Imerina, it emerged as a fortified political capital and royal palace during the reign of Andriantsimitoviaminandriana (r. 1740–1745). Defensive walls with seven gates were constructed, and the primary gate was closed by rolling a 12-ton stone disk to seal the opening and protect the Malagasy royalty in times of danger.
The site includes a complex of royal buildings and places of ritual, a royal burial ground, fortification systems, a sacred forest with many endemic species, and the former seat of justice, which is located on an enormous granite rock and shaded by a royal fig tree. In the nineteenth century, the French colonial authorities made several attempts to undermine the significance and national symbolism of Ambohimanga, all of which proved unsuccessful.
