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\u2013 Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
![\"15329725431_13fdd12c50_c\"](\"https:\/\/madagascar-en.yearbook-media.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/elementor\/thumbs\/15329725431_13fdd12c50_c-e1719570213170-rpf5aayrluw4omc0shz9lx9uwbvx9xmc3bxe7tac8u.jpg\" "\\"15329725431_13fdd12c50_c\\"")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\tThe Malagasy capital, the administrative and economic center of the country, is also the largest city in Madagascar. The city of a thousand also boasts a large number of hotels, including two 5-star hotels. In Malagasy, the "village of a thousand," the origin of the Merina kingdom, is a true concentration of the wonders the island has to offer in an urban setting.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Located at an altitude of 1,300 meters, the city of Antananarivo is divided into three zones: the lower city, the intermediate city, and the upper city. With its development and expansion, the authorities are keen to preserve the city's cultural heritage. At the top of the main hill, there is a magnificent view of Antananarivo with Lake Anosy and Mahamasina in the foreground. It is worth visiting a "Rova," a palace from the royal era, or one of the animal parks to discover the fauna and flora visible in the four corners of the island: lemurs, multicolored endemic birds, or other frogs unique to Madagascar. The Rova of Manjakamiadana is the symbol of the Merina monarchy, the country's last royalty. Built in the 19th century, first of wood and then of granite, the palace lost its political function with the arrival of French colonists in 1896 and the abolition of the Monarchy. On November 6, 1995, a fire ravaged the site, weakening the building down to its wooden foundations. Its restoration was launched in 2019 by President Andry Rajoelina. A 400-seat concrete Roman amphitheater, built within the palace grounds, will host performances telling the story of the Big Island.<\/p>\n
Analakely and Independence Avenue are undoubtedly the neighborhoods that have been most developed by the municipality. It is a large avenue connecting the Ambohijatovo roundabout to the old Soarano train station. Along the way, you'll find the Analakely pavilions, one of the city's largest markets where all kinds of goods are sold. North of the city is the business district called Ankorondrano. The 12 sacred hills of Imerina are also worth exploring. A curiosity: the Ivato crocodile farm, located only about fifteen kilometers away.<\/p>\n
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Cultural life is very present in the Malagasy capital. Thus, the H Foundation, a private Malagasy foundation created in 2017 by Hassanein Hiridjee, CEO of the Axian group, supports artistic creation on the African continent. Recognized as a public utility since 2018, the H Foundation opened its first exhibition space in Antananarivo in May 2019, then a second in Paris in September 2020. These two spaces aim to highlight emerging and more established artists from the African continent and the diaspora by hosting a program of temporary exhibitions and events centered around guest artists.<\/span><\/p>\n The H Foundation is also a sponsor of international exhibitions such as two exhibitions of the Africa2020 Season in 2021: Memoria (FRAC Nouvelle Aquitaine, Bordeaux) and Katia Kameli (FRAC PACA, Marseille); the artist Jo\u00ebl Andrianomearisoa represented the Madagascar Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2019; and finally Madagascar: Arts of the Big Island (Mus\u00e9e du Quai Branly, 2018-2019). The H Foundation has supported the Paritana Prize since its creation in 2016, organized by the PariAfrica Association and awarded each year to three artists from the Big Island, in partnership with the Cit\u00e9 Internationale des Arts in Paris and the French Institute of Madagascar, with the support of Air France.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t