Manjakamiadana
Stone and four towers.
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The Rova of Antananarivo is a royal palace complex in Madagascar, home to the sovereigns of Imerina in the 17th and 18th centuries and the rulers of the Kingdom of Madagascar in the 19th. It stands on the highest point of Analamanga hill and can be seen from most districts of the capital, and it looks out over the whole city, its roofs and the rice fields beyond. King Andrianjaka, who ruled from about 1610 to 1630, is believed to have taken the hill and raised the first fortified royal building here. Merina rulers governed from the site until the fall of the monarchy in 1897. In 1995 a fire badly damaged the complex, and restoration has been under way since 1997, with work not yet complete on every building. The main sight is Manjakamiadana, the Queen's Palace, with stone walls, four towers and rows of arches. Before it stand a small stone church, rebuilt black wooden houses and royal tombs with timber roofs. On the other side are a broad open space and an old cannon, and the walls are the place for the panorama, above all late in the day when the haze thins. It is about 18 km in a straight line from the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga. The roads up the hill are narrow and busy, so a taxi is easiest. Take a local guide, as much of the story does not show in the buildings. Morning, before the crowds, suits it best.
Stone and four towers.
Timber roofs.
The whole capital below.
Top of Analamanga hill, Antananarivo, Madagascar
Not entirely, as work began in 1997 and has continued, and some sections may be closed.
Not necessarily required, but it helps a lot in following the history of the rulers.