In developing our new winter sun programme, we were keen to learn more about the history and culture of our Indian Ocean destinations.We discovered that there’s a whole lot more to the Maldives than five star hotels and turquoise waters (although these are pretty special), and so here we look at the history and some interesting cultural aspects of the island nation.

Buddhism, Islam, Trade, Colonialisation & Fishing

The Maldives lies at a crossroads in the Indian Ocean between trading routes from Africa, The Middle East, India, Sri Lanka and South East Asia. The first settlers came more than 2500 years ago from India and some elements of the Maldivian language (Dhivehi), share similarities with Tamil and Malayalam from southern India as well as some cultural traditions. The Maldivians have traditionally always been seafaring people with their economy and way of life being based around fishing before the arrival of tourism.

Buddhism spread to Maldives around the 3rd century BC and there are various archaeological remains of Buddhist Stupas and monasteries on as many as 59 islands. Today these remains often lay buried under the sand and hidden in dense vegetation. It was in the 12th Century that the Maldives converted to Islam by African (Somali Islamic Scholar) Yusuf Al Barbari who was hafiz (someone who can recite the Quran in its entirety by memory), the last Buddhist King converted in 1153 but some pockets of resistance quelled.

The 16th Century brought a Colonial period with the Portuguese setting up a Garrison and trading post. They were replaced by the Dutch in the 17th Century and then the British who made the Maldives a British protectorate in the 19th Century. It wasn’t until 1965 the Maldives gained its independence, now celebrated nationally on 26th July.

Boduberu

The traditional songs and dances in the Maldives are known as Boduberu, believed to have been introduced to the Maldives by sailors around the 11th century.
Similar songs and dances are found in Southwest Africa and are usually performed by around 20 people to the music of the common people. Songs can be about Heroism, Romance or Satire and the drum used to accompany the songs and dances is made from wood from the coconut tree.

Gan, Addu & the South

In the Addu Atoll, the Maldives southernmost atoll, the islands are connected by road network across the islands, from Gan all the way up to Addu National Park.

The British held a military base in the Southern Atoll of Gan until 1976. Due to Gan’s strategic position and access to the Indian Ocean, it became part of the theatre of war during the second World War and was used by the British as a secret naval base. Towards the end of the war the Japanese torpedoed and sunk a British ship called the Loyalty and it remains underwater and is an excellent dive site.

Partly due to British influence,the Southern area of Maldives known as Addu developed quite separately from the northern parts like Male and to this day has its own distinct culture and dialect. There was even a brief Addu uprising in the 1970s where they tried to form a breakaway government with closer ties to the British. In resorts in these parts you will see that staff from Addu and indeed other regions of the Maldives are proud of their history and have a strong identity not unlike certain regional parts of the UK.

A TOUR OF MALE ATOLL

Male City
One of the most densely populated cities in the world. Traditionally King’s Island and home to 227,000 Maldivians – the city is where most Maldivians live and work and where all politics takes place.

HIGHLIGHTS OF MALE:
National Museum of Maldives
This was designed and built by the Chinese government - and amongst other things contains pre-Islamic artefacts including a coral stone Buddha head from the 11th century, the skeleton of a now-extinct species of whale and many diverse artefacts and royal antiquities.
The Friday Mosque
This is one the oldest Mosque in the Maldives and is listed as Unesco World Heritage as an example of sea culture architecture being built from dry coral
The Fish Market
A hive of activity - Pick up some fresh fish and take it back to the resort to cook.
The Tomb of a Al Babary
The Hafiz, Islamic Scholar responsible for converting the Maldives to Islan in the 12th Century.
Seagull Cafe
An Oases of calm in bustling Male-Great for a coffee, ice cream and a snack

Kuruhinna tharaagandu on the Island of Kaashidhoo

This area lies about 86 kilometers north from Male and is linked to Male by a ferry service or private boat charter. Kaashidhoo is known for its agriculture and is one the biggest suppliers of fresh fruits and vegetables to Male’s market. The island is the site of one of the largest archeological sites in the country that demonstrates the Buddhist past of the Maldives before the advent of Islam in the twelfth century. The site known as the Kuruhinna tharaagandu are the ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastery believed to have been in use in the pre-Islamic period. The excavation conducted between 1996 and 1998 revealed the ruins of what would have been a sprawling monastery complex with multiple structures. The excavated site is almost 1900 square kilometers and revealed more than sixty coral stone structures, which archeologists believe is just a part of the whole complex. As one would expect only the lower part of structures have survived during the nine hundred years since it has been abandoned.

Maroshi Island

Maroshi Island is home to the Mangroves where Thakarufaanu hid his boat Kalhuohfummi from the Portuguese on the journey south – It is also home to the oldest tree in Maldives, the Thaani tree, where Thakarufaanu rested. It’s also a lovely local island and very different from the hustle and bustle of Male.

The wooden palace in which Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaanu lived and grew up is well preserved and evokes more than any other existing building in the Maldives, the lifestyle of the rich, centuries ago. The ancient woods used in the building date back from than 500 years and come from India. Visitors are escorted around the complex by a museum staff member to see the fascinating 500-year-old wooden interiors, including swing beds (used to keep cool in the heat), lamps that burn coconut palm oil and elaborate wooden carvings, plus a large palm-thatch shed used as a sleeping room for guests.