Though your holiday to the Maldives may involve spending your days having fun in the sun, sand, and surf, don’t forget to visit some of its key attractions like its National Museum.
Museum Location
This museum can be found in Sultan Park in the capital, Male, which is beside Hulhule Island home to the Velana International Airport, the main airline hub in the Maldives. Beach resort options including the likes of Dhigali Maldives are on separate islands so you can look to visit such sites in Male after you land or just before you depart.
Two Buildings
Interestingly, the National Museum in Maldives is spread across two buildings. The original building is in Sultan Park in a colonial-style structure that was once part of the nation’s Royal Palace. The relatively newer building, a gift from China, is also in the same park and features more captivating exhibits and has the carvings of a handwritten Quran on the walls.
Delving into the Past
A visit to the museum gives one a chance to gain insights into the country’s rich history and heritage including the time when sultans ruled the islands. Key things to see include ceremonial robes, antiquities, furniture, thrones and personal belongings used by royalty. You can also observe items from the pre-Islamic period like a coral stone head of Lord Buddha dating to the 11th century.
Other Highlights
There’s plenty more to discover such as musical instruments, ancient manuscripts, traditional textiles, armour, weapons, lacquerware and even the nation’s first printing press. Other exhibits in the collection that stand out include an engraved wooden plank from the Old Friday Mosque (Hukuru Miskiy) that dates to the 13th century and engraved pieces of wood commemorating the country’s conversion to Islam; there’s a Longman’s Beaked Whale skeleton that worth seeing too.
