# Monuments of Tonga > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Monuments_of_Tonga > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Monuments_of_Tonga.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monuments_of_Tonga > Source revision: 1328155755 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) The **[Kingdom of Tonga](/source/Tonga)** has a number of **[historical monuments](/source/Monument)**, linked to the [chiefly dynasties](/source/Tu%CA%BBi_Tonga_Empire) which ruled over the islands for centuries. In 2007, Tonga submitted several of these monuments collectively for consideration as a potential [UNESCO World Heritage Site](/source/UNESCO_World_Heritage_Site). They were to be considered as "the Ancient Capitals of the Kingdom of Tonga", covering the Haʻamonga 'a Maui Historical Park (including the Haʻamonga 'a Maui itself and the Maka Faʻakinanga slab) and the royal tombs (*langi*) in [Muʻa](/source/Mu%CA%BBa). [Heketa](/source/Heketa), included in the Park, was the country's capital from the 10th to the 13th century, while Muʻa was the capital from the 13th to the 19th century.[1] ## Megaliths Arguably Tonga's most famous monument is the [Haʻamonga ʻa Maui](/source/Ha'amonga_'a_Maui), a 6-metre (20-foot) [trilithon](/source/Trilithon) consisting in three coral slabs (two holding up the third as a crosspiece), located in the east of [Tongatapu](/source/Tongatapu) (the country's main island), "near the villages of [Niutoua](/source/Niutoua) and Afa". It is thought to have been erected around the year 1200, under the reign of [Tuʻi](/source/Tu%CA%BBi_Tonga) [Tuʻitatui](/source/Tu'itatui). Its name means "Maui's burden", in reference to the legend whereby [Maui](/source/Maui_(Tongan_mythology)) fished up the Tongan islands from the sea depths. Its purpose remains uncertain. It is thought it may have been a "gateway" of sorts to the palace in [Heketa](/source/Heketa). Another legend says that Tuʻitatui had the monument built to represent his two sons, Lafa and Talaihaʻapepe, "with the lintel uniting the columns symbolizing the bonds of brotherhood" to urge them to remain united and to maintain peaceful brotherly relations after his death. The Tongan monarchy today states that the Haʻamonga ʻa Maui was "an early style sundial clock that recorded different seasonal changes". Since 1972, the site around the monument has been protected as the Haʻamonga ʻa Maui Historical Park.[1][2] About a hundred metres away from the Haʻamonga ʻa Maui is the [Maka Faʻakinanga](/source/Maka_Fa%CA%BBakinanga), an upright stone slab "with markings on the front resembling an indentation of a large head, shoulders and back". Oral history has it that the slab "served as the King's throne" at the time of Tuʻitatui. "It is said that the King sat here alertly to ward off assassination attempts on his life."[1][3] ## Royal tombs There are twenty-two to twenty-eight *langi* (royal tombs) in or near Lapaha, in [Muʻa](/source/Mu%CA%BBa), in the east of [Tongatapu](/source/Tongatapu). The tombs are stone vaults, "platforms of earth with a stepped pyramid effect supported by carefully placed retaining walls". The earliest person to have been buried there is thought to be Fatafehi, daughter of [Tuʻi](/source/Tu%CA%BBi_Tonga) [Tuʻitatui](/source/Tu'itatui); the earliest tombs have been tentatively dated back to the mid-thirteenth century. There are also a number of other *langi* in other parts of the country, notably in [Vavaʻu](/source/Vava%CA%BBu) and [Haʻapai](/source/Ha%CA%BBapai).[1][4] The "grandest" of Muʻa's *langi* is [Paepae o Teleʻa](/source/Paepae_o_Tele%CA%BBa) ("Teleʻa's mound"), "impressive in its engineering and joinery, with eight-foot wide coral slabs neatly fitted one end to the next". It is named for [Tuʻi](/source/Tu%CA%BBi_Tonga) [ʻUluakimata I](/source/%CA%BBUluakimata_I), also known as Teleʻa, who is thought to have had it built for himself in the 16th century. He was never buried there, however, as he died during a visit to [Samoa](/source/Samoa) in an attempt to recover the body of his Samoan-born wife, Talafiava. He is thought to have been buried in [Manuʻa](/source/Manu'a), Samoa, and the Paepae o Teleʻa has remained empty. Beside it is a smaller *langi*, Namoʻala, which was built for an unknown person but wherein now lie (since 2006) the bodies of Prince [ʻ Uluvalu Tuʻipelehake](/source/Tu'ipelehake_('Uluvalu)) and his wife Kaimana Aleamotuʻa.[5] Monarchs of the current dynasty, the [House of Tupou](/source/House_of_Tupou), are buried at [Malaʻekula](/source/Mala%CA%BBekula) ("Red Ground"), in a park in the centre of [Nukuʻalofa](/source/Nuku%CA%BBalofa), the current capital. Malaʻekula became a burial ground following the death of King [George Tupou I](/source/George_Tupou_I), the founder of the modern Kingdom of Tonga, in 1893. It is not an *langi*, but an elaborate "modern" burial monument in white stone.[6] ## Royal Palace The Royal Palace, made of [kauri](/source/Kauri) wood and located in the heart of [Nukuʻalofa](/source/Nuku%CA%BBalofa), was built in 1864 for King [George Tupou I](/source/George_Tupou_I). It remains the residence of the royal family.[7] ## Other monuments There is an "ancient fortress" in [Haʻapai](/source/Ha%CA%BBapai), and a bronze statue of [Shirley Waldemar Baker](/source/Shirley_Waldemar_Baker), also in Haʻapai.[1] ## References 1. ["The Ancient Capitals of the Kingdom of Tonga"](https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5167/), UNESCO World Heritage Centre 1. ["Ha'amonga 'a Maui"](http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=72&Itemid=85) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120523181152/http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=72&Itemid=85) 2012-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, Tongan Palace Office 1. ["Maka Fa'akinanga"](http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=100&Itemid=108) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120523180334/http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=100&Itemid=108) 2012-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, Tongan Palace Office 1. ["Langi"](http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=73&Itemid=86) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120523175952/http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=73&Itemid=86) 2012-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, Tongan Palace Office 1. ["Paepae o Tele'a"](http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=75&Itemid=87) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120523175957/http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=75&Itemid=87) 2012-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, Tongan Palace Office 1. ["Mala'ekula"](http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=74&Itemid=88) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120523180203/http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=74&Itemid=88) 2012-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, Tongan Palace Office 1. ["The Royal Palace of Tonga"](http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=182&Itemid=107) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120523180607/http://www.palaceoffice.gov.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=182&Itemid=107) 2012-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, Tongan Palace Office --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Monuments of Tonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monuments_of_Tonga) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monuments_of_Tonga?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.