Ambohimanga

Ambohimanga, the blue hill, was the seat of the Merina rulers before the capital moved to Antananarivo, and it remains the spiritual centre of the kingdom's memory: a walled hilltop compound entered through gates closed each night by a stone disc that took dozens of men to roll. Inside are the wooden palace of King Andrianampoinimerina, a single dark room with a central pillar of palissandre, later summer houses in a European style, sacred basins used for royal bathing rituals, and the tombs. The site is still actively used, with offerings left and prayers made, so it is not only a monument. Its forest is protected and the terraces below are farmed. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2001 as the surviving centre of Merina identity.

History

The highlands around Ambohimanga were first settled by the Vazimba, and by the 15th century the Merina had moved in, founding the first settlement on the hilltop; the hill, earlier called Tsimadilo and around 1700 Ambohitrakanga, the hill of the guinea fowls, after the dethroned prince Andriamborona settled there, was given its present name, the blue or sacred hill, by King Andriamasinavalona in the early 18th century. The largest compound, Mahandrihono, was founded between 1710 and 1730 by King Andriambelomasina, and from here King Andrianampoinimerina reunited Imerina by 1793, later moving his court back to Antananarivo but declaring the two cities of equal importance. Ranavalona I renovated Mahandrihono and brought buildings over from Antananarivo, Rasoherina rebuilt Nanjakana and Ranavalona II added two pavilions mixing traditional and Western styles, and the royal line kept up its rituals here until the French colonised the kingdom and in 1897 removed the royal relics to Antananarivo to break the spirit of resistance they inspired. In 2001 the hill became a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Ambohimanga).

What to look for

• The royal gates - entrances closed by great rolling stone discs.
• Andrianampoinimerina's house - the dark timber palace with its central pillar.
• Sacred basins - the pools used in royal ritual.
• Living offerings - candles and gifts left by visiting Malagasy.

When to go

April to November for dry weather and clearer views over the plain. It is an easy half-day from the capital. Mornings are quieter; weekends bring Malagasy visitors and pilgrims in numbers.

Practical notes

Buildings are modest in scale and much of the meaning is in what guides explain rather than in what stands. Some areas carry prohibitions, including on certain foods and behaviour, which are enforced. Photography is restricted in places. The site can be crowded on weekends.

Nearby

Antananarivo lies south; Anjozorobe forest is northeast.

Key facts