Ambohimanga is a hill and traditional fortified royal settlement (
rova) in
Madagascar, located approximately northeast of the capital city of
Antananarivo. The hill and the rova that stands on top are considered the most significant symbol of the cultural identity of the
Merina people and the most important and best-preserved monument of the precolonial
Kingdom of Madagascar and its precursor, the
Kingdom of Imerina. The walled historic village includes residences and burial sites of several key monarchs. The site, one of the
twelve sacred hills of Imerina, is associated with strong feelings of national identity and has maintained its spiritual and sacred character both in ritual practice and the popular imagination for at least four hundred years. It remains a place of worship to which pilgrims come from Madagascar and elsewhere.