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Malé - Culture |
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Idyllic beach Malé is the only capital in the world that is an island, as opposed to being on an island, Malé is the commercial and social hub of the Maldives. Malé is just a 10-minute boat ride from the International Airport, which is built on one of the atoll islands that constitute The Maldives. Only about 2 sq km, it nevertheless holds roughly 25% of the nation’s population, not including the many foreign workers. Since it is the major ‘city’ of the Maldives, with a population of about 80,000, it has a busy, thriving workforce, and is active throughout the day and late into the night. Walking around Malé on an unofficial tour will let you see something of what life is like for Maldivians, at least on Malé’, and if you ever lose yourself in the short, quaint little streets, anyone you ask will be glad to help you find your way. Almost any young person will know enough English to give basic directions and people don’t make any fuss at the sight of visitors. ATTRACTIONS
You must not be afraid, though, that you will be asked to go into any "Survivor" type scheme of vacations. There are several interesting entertaining diversions here. Some of them are: The Republic Square Constructed along the northern waterfront in 1989, this is Malé's most popular place for social gatherings and relaxation. It is also one of the favorite evening hangouts for children. On the north side of the square is the sea, on the west are some commercial buildings, to the south is the Islamic Centre and the headquarters of the National Security Service (NSS), and on the east is the new Headquarters of the Police. On the sea-ward side is also the Presidential Jetty used by the President and members of the cabinet on trips to various locations around the Maldives and the world. The square is where earlier there used to be some government office buildings which were pulled down and given office space in other locations. It is also one of the places from which the mercenaries who invaded the Maldives on the 3rd of November 1989 attacked the HQ of the NSS, and where they held some civilians as hostages to try and force access to the compound. It is now a place where many parents go to sit down and let the children play, and for many others to just sit and watch the sea and the launches and boats go in and out of the protected harbour. At any time of the day you can see largish numbers of people on the square, and on all the roads around it you can also see locals hurrying about on their business. Grand Mosque Visitors are allowed inside the mosque only with official permission, but once inside you will see very intricate motifs and a mixture of modern and traditionally Islamic architecture and designs. In fact, much of the artwork was overseen by the President, Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, who is an internationally recognised Islamic scholar. The grand mosque has many functions: as a place of worship primarily, and also as a place of religious instruction, as a conference hall for many national events, and as an Islamic library with numerous volumes on Islam written in English and Arabic. Hukuru Miskiiy The significance of the ‘Friday’ in its name points to the importance of that day of the week, which is the day on which all Malés go for the main religious congregation of the week, at noon, and at which the Imam gives religious advice. In earlier times, the Hukuru Miskiyy was the main mosque where Friday’s noon prayers were held. It is amongst the oldest mosques in the Maldives, especially in Malé’, and it has not seen many changes from 1656, which was the year in which it was built. The walls of the actual mosque are made of stone that has very delicate carvings, and the mosque has a quiet air of tranquillity. The small minaret on the southern wall of the mosque dates back to 19 years of the completion of the mosque, when Sultan Iskandar I came back from the Hajj (the annual pilgrimage to Mecca) and built it on a Meccan model. This minaret used to be the place from which the call to the daily prayers were called out, in earlier times. Museum The Sultan Park was previously part of the southern side of the Royal Palace, of which you cannot now see much. The Park itself is mainly a considerable collection of various tropical flora, and also exhibits some animal life. The National Museum, situated in the western part of the Park, shows items of historic value from the times of the Sultan’s. Many of the items are weapons that were used during various periods of history, some of the clothes that adorned the royalty and nobility of ages past, and some of the furniture, etc. that were used earlier. The attractiveness of the museum may be summarised in three words: it is different. It is certainly not the kind of museum that you would expect to see in the capitals of the developed countries: it has its own charm and beauty and tells tales of times that are strange even to Maldivians.
Each day, towards evening, the local boats, (known as dhonis, and now equipped with powerful marine engines, GPS, and other improvements) start coming into the inner harbour of Malé’, right in front of the fish market. There you can see fresh fish being brought onto Malé’, straight from the boats. The fishermen in those boats will have spent their time out in the boats from at least dawn, or in many cases, the early hours of the morning till they bring in their catch for sale. While some of the boats that bring in the fish are quite small, the average size of the dhonis is increasing at a rapid pace. Local Market The local market has been in the same place for decades, and has seen little change throughout its history. The large tree that is on its seaward-side compound has been there for many years and creates an image that can instantly be recognised by many Maldivians. Inside the housed part of the Market, you will find anything from papaya to local varieties of banana and various local delicacies. One particular item that you might find of interest is a very Maldivian concoction, the rihaakuru, which is the boiled-down version of clear tuna soup. Rihaakuru is the residue that is left upon hearing the soup of tuna for hours on low simmer, and the thick paste produced is eaten by Maldivians with many items of food from rice to the local kind of bread, which resembles the naan bread of Indian origin. Presidential Palace The Presidential Palace has been built on the site of the previous presidential palace, was completed only recently and shows very eclectic architectural style. The Palace is actually the official residence of the President, the practice in Maldives different from many countries, where the residence of the president is also the offices of the president. Built in an eclectic style, the Presidential Palace is the venue where the President occasionally hosts receptions on very special occasions, and also where anyone can greet him at particular times on the occasions of the Islamic Eid. We are thankful to Inner Maldives for the expert info on the Island If you think that here we have a Paradise on earth, which is by all means true, read on...
What is the
secret that keeps yesterday's richest Addu person empty-handed today?
Saeed's home for auction - His commercial vessels idle for three years
Translated from Huvaas 10 August 2001 'Moonlight Villa'
is half way along the main street of Hittadu, and at one time it was a house
that people would only stare at from outside. People used to hesitate to
enter. It is the residence of Mohamed Saeed, who was the closer than any other
islander to the British when they occupied Gan. Hittadu people considered it a
pleasure and a privilege just to walk past the palatial residence. Until very recently Mohamed Saeed was the wealthiest person in his atoll. He had money and other assets such as boats, ships, houses and vehicles, and there were many employees on his payroll. But now his assets are gone and he is totally destitute. His fishing boats and cargo vessels are idle and falling into disrepair.
"One boat is beached on Gaf Dal (southern Huvadu) Atoll while the other is burnt out and sunk in the sea. The house is up for auction. I have a ship but it hasn't sailed in three years," said Saeed, aged 65. Saeed was intending to go into exile with Abdullah Afif [Didi] when he went away with the British in 1963, but something happened and he was not able to go. "After serving in very senior [Malé] government positions I began working for Altaf. When they constructed the resort there, I was the most senior person with them. When I became the Commercial Director, I proposed building and leasing the Holiday Village on Gan . I was very happy to be able to do something worthwhile for this atoll. I put community service ahead of profit. I got the place in 1984," said Saeed, as he began to explain how he has become insolvent. "The lease agreement for the facility stated that two flights a week would arrive, but no flights arrived. Expenditure continued to be incurred and for a long time he waited hopefully. "Finally I decided to bring the flights myself, privately. At that time I had the means to do it. I travelled to New Zealand and negotiated a deal with a private flight operator, and organised scheduled visitor arrivals to Addu. However I failed to obtain the necessary government authorisation [from Malé]."
According to Saeed, the
main reason for the loss of his assets was not being able to bring visitors to
the Holiday Village. "After that I started a project to export Napoleon fish. I was the first person in the Maldives to work on exporting that species. A short time after I started, the government banned it. At that time I had stock worth US$80,000", Saeed said. No one in Addu is willing to buy Mohamed Saeed's house because of the respect they have for him. "People tell me personally that because it is my house they are reluctant to take it. The starting price of bidding is 50,000 rufiyaa (NZ$ 5000)" he said, "Perhaps there is no one who is able to meet this limit." Saeed said that at the height of his prosperity his income was about 400,000 to 500,000 rufiyaa a month. Now he receives only 1500 rufiyaa a month. "I only receive 1500 rufiyaa that the Atoll Chief [a Malé government-appointed official] gives me. I receive this despite having no position. It is not given to me because I have a need for it. I do not even want it," he said. Recently Saeed suffered from a serious illness. As a result he has some difficulty speaking . Four months ago Saeed moved back to live on his island. He has 11 children, 2 great-grandchildren and 7 grandchildren. Even though some of the children have resorts and senior positions with the [Malé] government, Saeed said that he does not seek any help from them. "I've never been a person who uses or expects any help from their children," he said. Although Saeed married three times, all his marriages ended in divorce. His last wife was several years younger than him. Saeed said that even though all his assets and houses are being auctioned off, he still has the means to fend for himself until he dies. Editorial Comment: Not everything is Heavenly, even in Paradises! |
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It's quite obvious that you are not going to go to
Malé for its museums and culture, but for the nice and relaxing holidays on a sunny,
sandy beach, or even diving its coral covered seas
Fish Market
