page_title: Twelve sacred hills of Imerina
section_title: Hill of Alasora
hierarchical_section_title: Twelve sacred hills of Imerina / Key sites / Hill of Alasora
caption_attribution_description: English: Alasora sacred hill Madagascar
context_page_description: The twelve sacred hills of Imerina are hills of historical significance to the Merina people of Madagascar. Located throughout Imerina, the central area of the highlands of Madagascar, the sites were often ancient capitals, the birthplaces of key public figures, or the tomb sites of esteemed political or spiritual leaders. The first set of sacred sites was designated by early 17th-century king Andrianjaka. The notion was re-sanctified under late 18th-century king Andrianampoinimerina, who replaced several of the earlier sites with new ones. More than 12 sites were thus designated as sacred over time, although the notion of twelve sacred hills was perpetuated because of the significance of the number 12 in Malagasy cosmology. Today, little concrete evidence of the former importance of many of these sites remains, but the significant archeological and cultural heritage of several of the sites has been preserved.
context_section_description: Alasora 1348 m, latitude 18°57'46.08"S, longitude 47° 34'09.74"E.(15 km northeast of Antananarivo) Alasora is one of the oldest villages in Imerina, believed to have been founded by Prince Ramasimparihy in 1490.  Ruling from Imerimanjaka, vazimba Queen Rangita (1500–1520) and her brother Andrianamponga gave the site its current name.  Under Rangita's daughter, Queen Rafohy (1520–1540), the capital of the region was moved from Imerimanjaka to Alasora.  Some of the monumental features of the site were added upon the orders of her son, King Andriamanelo (1540–1575), including the hadivory and hadifetsy (defensive trenches around the town), as well as the vavahady, a town gate protected by a large rolled stone disc acting as a barrier and shaded by aviavy (fig trees), symbolic of royalty. This town model was subsequently adopted throughout Imerina. Andriamanelo's tomb is located here.
caption: Alasora, 2013
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