Ambohimalaza, Prince Andriantompokoindrindra’s hill

Ambohimalaza is a quite comfortable rural area located about ten miles away in the east of the capital city in a magnificent central highland landscape of hills and rice fields. The area used to be a historical command center to ruler Ralambo’s offspring, namely Andriantompokoindrindra and Andrianjaka. Andriantompokoindrindra, the elder, decided on personal account to abdicate and leave the power to his younger brother Andrianjaka, who committed to the successful conquest of Antananarivo back in 1610. Another version of history argues that their father would have denied him the right to rule because of his lack of maturity. From its historical royal past, Ambohimalaza retains nowadays Andriantompokoindrindra’s clan’s necropolis. A large wooden cabin locally called « Tranomanara » (Cold house) still stands upon the royal grave in which the prince lies, he who favored the traditional Fanorona game more than ruling power. The necropolis actually stretches over Ambohimalazabe, two miles further away from the hill of Ambohimalaza. Ambohimalazabe was once the original settlement before the foundation of a village in Ambohimalaza.