Twelve Sacred Hills of Imerina
The Twelve Sacred Hills of Imerina are historically significant settlements on hills in the highlands of Madagascar ( Imerina ). They are especially important for the Merina people . The hills have often served as the capital, birthplace of key figures in history, or burial sites for political and spiritual leaders. The first comprehensive view as "sacred places" was reported by King Andrianjaka in the 17th century. The idea was resumed by King Andrianampoinimerina in the late 18th century . The twelve is more of a concession to the mythological meaning of the number in Malagasy cosmology. Today there are only a few visible traces of the importance of these places, but archaeological and cultural monuments have been preserved. The historical significance of the places is best illustrated by the Rova of Antananarivo near Analamanga, the old fortified city of Alasora , the houses and tombs of the nobles Andriana near Antsahadinta and the fortifications and Merina palaces near Ambohimanga , which were included in the list by UNESCO in 2001 of the world heritage in Madagascar .
history
Legend has it that King Andrianjaka (1610–1630) declared twelve hills in Imerina to be sanctuaries because of their historical, political or spiritual significance for the Merina . King Andrianampoinimerina (1787-1810) again determined twelve hills during his reign, taking several from the list of Andrianjaka, but replacing some others. Most of these hills previously served as capitals of the rival kingdoms conquered by Andrianampoinimerina and united under his rule.
Main places
Twelve is a sacred number in Merina cosmology, so the number keeps popping up. Andrianampoinimerina had twelve wives, each of whom he settled on a different one of the twelve hills. In reality, he had more than twelve wives and there are also more than twelve hills around Antananarivo that claim the status of the Holy Hill. It is also debatable which mounds were on Andrianampoinimerina's list, but most of the matches exist for the following locations:
Alasora
Alasora (1348 m, 18 ° 57 ′ 46 ″ S, 47 ° 34 ′ 10 ″ E , 15 km northeast of Antananarivo) is one of the oldest villages in Imerina. Legend has it that it was founded by Lord Ramasimparihy in 1490 . When the Vazimba -Queen Rangita (1500-1520) and her brother Andrianamponga ruled in Imerimanjaka, the place got its present name. Under Rangita's daughter, Queen Rafohy (1520-1540), the capital of the principality was moved from Imerimanjaka to Alasora. Some of the monumental structures that still exist were built under the government of their son, King Andriamanelo (1540–1575), including the hadivory and hadifetsy (moats) and the vavahady (a city gate made from a large rolling stone) with planted aviavy (fig trees), which symbolize royalty. The city map was a model for a number of other places in Imerina. Andriamanelo's grave is also in Alasora.
Ambohidrabiby
Ambohidrabiby (Ambohitrabiby) ( 18 ° 46 ′ 0 ″ S, 47 ° 36 ′ 1 ″ E , 20 km north of Antananarivo): This was the residence of King Ralambo (1575–1610). His grave is still shown today, along with the grave of his Vazimba grandfather Rabiby , a famous astrologer after whom the hill is named.
Ambohidratrimo
Ambohidratrimo (1352 m, 18 ° 49 ′ 36 ″ S, 47 ° 26 ′ 49 ″ E , 17 km north of Antananarivo) was named after King Ratrimo , who is said to have been the first king in the area in the mid-12th century. After several unsuccessful attempts to conquer the hill, Andrianampoinimerina was finally able to insert the kingship into his sphere of influence by marrying his first wife Rambolamasoandro , the princess of Ambohidratrimo . She bore him the son and successor Radama I.
Ambohimanga
Ambohimanga ("Blue Hill", 1456 m, 18 ° 45 ′ 33 ″ S, 47 ° 33 ′ 46 ″ E , 21 km north of Antananarivo): Residence of the Imerina under Andrianampoinimerina . Ambohimanga was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001.
Analamanga
Analamanga ("Blue Forest", 18 ° 55 ′ 25 ″ S, 47 ° 31 ′ 56 ″ E , center of Antananarivo): The Rova of Antananarivo is the highest hill in the area of the capital Antananarivo . King Andrianjaka (1610-1630) had built his residence there.
Antsahadinta
Antsahadinta ("Valley of the Leek ", 1390 m, 19 ° 0 ′ 50 ″ S, 47 ° 27 ′ 45 ″ E ) was the center of power in western Imerina . To this day there are some well-preserved wooden houses of the nobles. One of the first 12 public schools was founded in the time of Radama I by James Cameron and other missionaries from the London Missionary Society . There are also several important royal tombs that go back over 700 years. In the status of the "Royal Hills of Imerina", Antsahadinta is only surpassed by Ambohimanga .
Ikaloy
Ikaloy (1435 m, 18 ° 35 ′ 44 ″ S, 47 ° 38 ′ 50 ″ E ) is the birthplace of King Andrianampoinimerina . The remains of the historic city include a vavahady stone on the city gate, various unnamed stone graves and a well-preserved wooden aristocratic house.
Ilafy
Ilafy ( 18 ° 51 ′ 17 ″ S, 47 ° 33 ′ 54 ″ E 10 km from Antananarivo) was the residence of Andrianjafy (1770–1787). There is also a modest wooden palace of Radama II (1861–1863) on site. In Ilafy also the first arms factory in Madagascar, which was created by Jean Laborde was built 1,833th The grave of Radama II was originally in this place. He was buried there in 1863, but later moved to the grave of Radama I , in the cemetery of the Rova of Antananarivo (1897).
Imerimanjaka
Imerimanjaka : ( 18 ° 58 ′ 44 ″ S, 47 ° 32 ′ 52 ″ E ) was the place of two tombs of Vazimba queens: Rangita and Rafohy , the mother of Andriamanelo .
Imerimandroso
Imerimandroso ( 17 ° 25 ′ 47 ″ S, 48 ° 35 ′ 33 ″ E ) was an important city of the Vazimba .
Namehana
Namehana ( 18 ° 50 ′ 3 ″ S, 47 ° 32 ′ 56 ″ E ) was the site of a major battle in the Franco-Hova War between the Merina and the French in 1895.
More hills
Other well-known places that are counted among the 12 hills:
- Ambohijoky (1519 m, 12 km south of Antananarivo): Residence of Queen Rabodo , the 15th wife of Andrianampoinimerina . The highest of the "Twelve Sacred Hills of Imerina".
- Antongona : The walled village of Amborano with two historic wooden houses from the 17th century.
- Androhibe
- Ampandrana
- Ambohimalaza
- Hiarandriana
- Ambatomanohina
- Ambohidrapeto
- Fenoarivo
- Iharanandriana
- Ambohidrontsy (Ambohihontsy, Ambohimanambola)
- Ambohitrondrana
- Amboatany :
- Ambohiniazy:, traditional burial place of Andriana (Andriambahoaka).
- Ambohijafy
- Ambohimandranjaka
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Administration coloniale. Notes, reconnaissances et explorations, Volume 4 Imprimerie officielle de Tananarive, 1898.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Jean-Paul Labourdette, Dominique Auzias: Madagascar. Petit Futé 2010.
- ↑ a b c d Les collines sacrées. Office regional du Tourisme à Antananarivo.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Raison-Jourde, Françoise and Randrianja, Solofo. La Nation malgache au défi de l'ethnicité. Karthala Editions, 2002.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Samuel Pasfield Oliver : Madagascar: an historical and descriptive account of the island and its former dependencies, Volume 1. Macmillan 1886.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Pela Ravalitera: Les Douze Collines sacrées, fruits de décisions royales. Journal de l'Express.
- ↑ Alasora. Madatana.com.
- ↑ Ambohidratrimo. Madatana.com.
- ^ Royal hill of Ambohimanga. UNESCO.
- ↑ Antsahadinta. Madatana.com.
- ↑ Kaloy. Madatana.com.
- ↑ Ilafy. Madatana.com.
- ↑ Ambohitraina-Imerimanjaka. Madatana.com.
- ↑ Ambohijoky. Madatana.com.
Map with all coordinates: