Royal Hill of Ambohimanga tour

The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga is one of the world famous attractions of Madagascar. It is located 20 km north of the capital Antananarivo, near the small town of the same name Ambohimanga. The history of this kingdom dates back to the 16th century. At that time, on one of the 12 hills formed the city of Imerina, which was the capital of the state.

The royal hill of Ambohimanga is an architectural ensemble of the time with cultural landscapes, fountains, sacred pools and sacrificial stones, reminiscent of the great periods of the country’s history.

Ambohimanga is the foundation of the dynasty that led the kingdom of Merina at its peak (today Madagascar). The twelve hills on which the kingdom of the great reformer king Andrianampoyinerin was located. In 1787, the young king managed to unite the twelve sacred hills of Imerina (Madagascar) under his rule, thereby reuniting the four divided kingdoms of Imerina under his sovereignty and put an end to 77 years of civil war.

He reigned seven years and moved the kingdom’s capital to Antananarivo.

The city was a religious center where ritual ceremonies were performed (until 1896). Today Ambohimanga is a whole complex of historical buildings, religious shrines. The city was the property of the kings of Madagascar and was well fortified. But to this day only walls and fortified stone gates have been preserved (there were 14 before), and there were also moats around the fortress. The walls of the building are made of concrete, which was made in a special way from egg whites. They had to use several tens of thousands to build walls.

The palaces and other buildings were mainly made of wood and limestone in which various religious rituals were conducted. Next to the royal tombs is a man-made lake with crystal clear water. The reservoir was used for ritual ablutions. Also on the territory is a spring with healing water.

It was assumed that with prolonged siege of the city, members of the royal family were supplied with water. The royal city consists of two palaces, two sacred pools, a small pavilion, a beech pit and four royal tombs. Not only historical buildings, but also the vegetation that grows on the royal hill are considered a shrine. Since forests, consisting mainly of endemic species, which were carefully protected and preserved to this day in their original form.

The royal hill received the status of a sacred place in the 15th century and Ambohimanga, as the royal residence lasted until the 18th century. Then the status changed to the religious capital of Madagascar. The last buildings on the royal hill were the palace and pavilion, which are made of glass in 1871.

The local people deeply revere the sacred royal hill and still believe that the spirit of Andrianampuinimerina, the king of the reformer, lives here. Today, the city is still the center of religious practice for many Malagasy people and is a living memory of the traditional religion. This sacred place is visited annually by a huge number of pilgrims from around the world.

Royal Hill is the most important monument of the sights of Madagascar! In 2001, the royal hill of Ambohimanga added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.