The President of each Republic is often endowed with the convenience of an Official Residence where one can invite and receive other Heads of State, conduct press meetings as well as other conferences with ease. The Republic of Maldives is no exception, and indeed, its Official Residence is an interesting place to visit. Often, many who visit this iconic cluster of islands at the heart of the Indian Ocean and stay in world class hotels such as Anantara Veli Maldives Resort & Spa are often tempted to reside in the comfort and convenience of their Maldives resort and never immerse themselves in the local culture or even sample the local cuisine. The capital of Maldives, the city of Male, is the ideal place to do so and a visit to Male would be incomplete without witnessing the Muliaa’ge Palace.
The Muliaa’ge Palace was built in 1919 for Prince Hassan Izzuddin by his father, Sultan Muhammad Shamsudeen mimicking the colonial bungalow architectural style prevalent in neightbouring Ceylon at the time. At present, the Palace can be seen by anyone who visits the National Museum of Maldives and strolls through Sultan’s Park. Despite its distinction as a ‘Palace’, the building has been used for a multitude of purpose, none of which were Royal in nature. For instance, Muliaa’ge Palace housed the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Presidential Palace by the elected President Mohamed Amin Didi and again in 1968, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Office of the President and in 2008, it even housed the Supreme Court of Maldives. At present, it serves as the Official Residence of the President used last by Former President Mohamed Nasheed who resigned in 2012.
Muliaa’ge Palace has witnessed some great personalities and eminent statesmen walk through its hallowed halls. For instance, Rajiv Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India as well as Queen Elizabeth II stayed at the Palace.
Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.