Preparatory assistance for inscription of the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga

The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga in Madagascar consists of a royal city and burial site, and an ensemble of sacred places. It 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 the past 500 years. It remains a place of worship to which pilgrims come from Madagascar and elsewhere.

In 1999, the World Heritage Centre, under the framework of the France-UNESCO Convention, undertook a preparatory assistance mission for the inscription of the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga on the World Heritage List. A national workshop was organised from 5 to 9 June 2000 to allow stakeholders who had collaborated on the nomination to provide input. Over the course of eight workshops the seminar provided the opportunity to present the principle components and project stages to involved parties.

The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2001.