Joanna James
Maldives is a tropical archipelago, a haven of sun sand and sea as well as being home to an ancient fisher nation with colourful traditions and strong religious backgrounds. Here's what you can do.
If you are a culture buff and love exploring vintage buildings and delving into ancient cultures a visit to the Old Friday Mosque or Hukuru Miskiiy is a must. The oldest mosque in the country that dates back to 1656 Hukuru Miskiiy is a beautiful structure made from pink coral with walls that are adorned with scriptures from the Quran. If you wish to explore the interior a permit from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs is required. Most of the staff at the mosque are from this ministry and provided you are appropriately attired will grant permission.
Newport is unlike a majority of the Male restaurants. Located on the capital islands bustling seafront road this restaurant offers one an excellent menu to choose from. The décor is sleek and modern with menus based on iPads: on offer is an excellent range of breakfasts, falafels with chunks of seared tuna, burghers, fresh sandwiches and juicy prawns. The coffee too is pretty good at this place which is where one can go to in case you have a bout of homesickness and the munchies. Of course the Maldives is home to major hotel chains that offer tourists a chance to dine on cuisine from across the world. Accommodation options too at these international resorts are varied and quite contemporary which like Minor Hotels cater to the global traveller.
Trace the fascinating history of the Maldives Islands as you browse the many historic artefacts of the National Museum. Some of the museums treasured relics were damaged by religious extremists who stormed the museum during the riots of 2012. Statues of the Buddha carved from coral stones were amongst those destroyed and served as a link to the islands pre-Islamic era; as it is believed the Maldives was established by an exiled Indian prince.
Utheema Ganduvaru is the childhood home of Mohamed Thakurufaanu; national hero of the Maldives. Thakurufaanu is revered for his brave struggle against the Portuguese colonists and for freeing the Maldives from colonial rule. An escorted tour of the premises is conducted where you can appreciate the 500 year old interior of the building done in wood. On display are ancient swing beds, lamps that are lit up with coco palm oil and beautiful wooden furniture. There are also large sheds with thatched palm roofs used as guest rooms.
Located on one part of the Sultan's Park is the National Library aka National Art Gallery. Housing a marvellous display of cultural exhibits from various countries in the region the gallery also displays group and individual exhibits on a roster basis. Ideal for experiencing the modern age art scene of Maldives, these exhibits range through a multitude of mediums such as paintings, photography and abstract work.
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