From spending time on pristine beaches and exploring important cultural sights to enticing your taste buds with delicious traditional dishes, cultural holidays in this island nation will be one-of-a-kind experiences to uncover the historical elements of this island.
Independence
The Maldives gained independence on July 26, 1965. The first Prime Minister who ruled the country after gaining independence was Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir while Maumoon Abdul Gayoom became the president. Small as it is the Maldives has always maintained strong unity and independence despite influences from outside. Thousands of tourists visit the island annually and there are incredible places to visit in Maldives along with some of the best resorts such as Adaaran Select Meedhupparu.
Maldivian heroes
The Portuguese had a keen interest in the Maldives for its availability of ambergris (an important ingredient in perfumes) and cowry shells. Ali Rasgefaanu was considered a brave fighter who came forward to fight against Portuguese coercion. Maldivians have a specific day devoted to this hero called “Martyr’s Day” and it is a public holiday in Maldives.
The evolvement of modern Rufiyaa
A bit of knowledge of a country’s national currency will give you an idea about its economic growth and productivity. The very first form of currency in Maldives was cowry shells. During the 17th and 18th centuries, ‘Larin’ was used as a currency for trading. It was also used by Ceylon, the Persian Gulf, India, and other far eastern countries. Rufiyaa came to play in 1947 with the introduction of Rufiyaa banknotes.
Languages
Dhivehi is known to be the official language of the Maldives and it seems to be a derivative of the Sinhala language in Sri Lanka. Even though Maldivians use Dhivehi for most of their daily transactions and communications, English is gaining traction as the most common second language.
