The beautiful atolls that make up the Maldives are most famous for its turquoise waters, abundant coral reefs filled with amazing marine life and stunning Maldives resort and hotels, such as the luxurious Velassaru Maldives. However, the islands also hold a long and intriguing history that can best be viewed at the national museum in the capital Male.
The National Museum contains an impressively large and well-maintained collection of artefacts that trace the history of the secluded island nation. However, during a protest against the government in 2012, a group of religious extremists broke into the museum and destroyed almost all artefacts that preceded the Maldives pre-Islamic period, including its most valuables items; 30 intricately carved, coral stone statues of Buddha, on the pretext that they were “idols”.
The old museum building is located in Sultan Park, the site of the old the Maldivian Royal Palace compound, which dates back to the 17th century. The palace complex itself was destroyed by a fire in 1968. A modern museum building was opened nearby in 2010, the interior retaining the Islamic designs, including the intricately handwritten Qur’an engravings on the walls.
On the ground floor, are galleries dedicated to the pre-medieval periods of the Maldives. Some of the items on display include pieces like weapons, bits and pieces from homes, various religious items and large pieces of carved wood, engraved in Arabic and Thaana, commemorating the introduction and conversation of the islands to Islam.
Head upstairs and you’ll find the modern exhibitions, which display several interesting pieces like cherished examples of the famous lacquer-work boxes for which the Maldives is famed for, and items of old technology such as the country’s first gramophone, and a massive old computer. Other relics include a remarkable marine collection; the highlight of the exhibition is the 6m-long skeleton of the very rare Longman’s Beaked Whale, which has never been sighted alive in the sea.
Damon Starky is a creative nomadic travel writer, who is well informed and experienced on a wide range of interests that would connect to the needs of any type of traveler. Google+
