This paper presents a framework called Himalaya enabling to design and implement adaptive and distributed mobile multi-agent systems (MMAS). A distributed MMAS in our framework is a set of hierarchies of intelligent and mobile agents connected with respect to a topology. An MMAS is adaptive if its topology is flexible (agents are created or removed, the links between agents change in a dynamic manner) and if the internal structure of the agents may dynamically change, by acquiring new knowledge or capabilities. The features of Himalaya favor a dynamic adaptability and reconfiguring of systems.