2022 africa: malagasy
eco express
our journey
overview:
our goal:
to highlight the social and environmental issues local communities and ethnic groups living at key UNESCO sites in Madagascar are facing and show the beauty and perseverance of the people, their country and their use of green energy.
the campaign:
we visited 3 key UNESCO sites as well as the zafimaniry people of the southern central highlands of Madagascar who are recognized by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity:
- the tsingy of bemahara: known for its unique geological formations and diversity
- zafimaniry art: woodcarving in the central highlands
- rainforests of atsinanana: ranomafana national park, one of the oldest rainforests home to many endemic species
- royal hill of ambohimanga: located in the central highlands, it is a historic royal city, a burial and sacred site that served as the spiritual and political centre for the malagasy monarchy.
mission members:
Dr Yannis Tzortzis, Project Director
Malala Tiarosa, Tour Guide
Artemis Anastasopoulous, Photographer
Kyriakos Loulakoudis, Photographer
Tilemachos Andrianopoulos, Architect
Kalliopi Zacharaki, Lawyer
Dr. Kalliopi Tzivanaki, Engineer
we witnessed a crafts workshop, the antemoro paper, the silk making process.
gallery
UNESCO
1. andrefana dry forests: tsingy de bemahara
tsingy de bemaraha – limestone formations
tsingy de bemaraha is located in western madagascar and is part of the andrefana dry forests, a natural site inscribed as a unesco world heritage site since 1990.
the area is famous for its unique limestone formations, the “tsingy,” which were formed millions of years ago through the erosion of limestone by water and time.
the tsingy hosts a variety of ecosystems including forests, caves, rivers.
2. zafimaniry, woodwork, carpentry
sakaivo village
the zafimaniry people from the central highlands of madagascar preserve exceptional knowledge and craftsmanship in woodcarving, incorporating symbolic and practical functions into their architecture.
traditional woodwork of the zafimaniry
the local school of the zafimaniry in sakaivo village
to reach this village, you must hike with a guide for 4–6 hours, through the mountains and the forest.
3. atsinanana rainforests: ranomafana national park
red fronted brown lemur, ranomafana national park
wooly lemur, ranomafana national park
secondary forest, ranomafana national park
4. royal hill of ambohimanga
the royal hill of ambohimanga is one of the most important cultural heritage monuments of madagascar and is located in the central highlands, near the capital, antananarivo.
it is a historic royal city that served as the spiritual and political centre of the malagasy monarchy. on the hill are palaces, sacred sites, murals, and royal tombs, which reflect the historical and cultural traditions of the region.