The Maldives islands have become nothing short of legendary now in regards to travel destinations. Anyone who enjoys travelling or even dreams about it would have at least thought about the Maldives. The nation that consists of a collection of islands is notable for its pristine beaches, lush tropical splendour and many a Maldives luxury resort that takes up an entire island such as COMO Maalifushi, The Maldives.
Archaeological research has indicated that the Maldives islands were well heard of as far back as two thousand years ago and many ancient civilisations with maritime prowess such as the Romans, Egyptians and even Mesopotamians used the islands as a junction for trade. An ancient race of sun-worshippers called the Redin has said to have originated from one of the aforementioned civilisations and their respective races.
The Redin eventually were swallowed up by the two major groups of people that began to colonise the Maldives islands, which were the Hindhus that travelled from India and the Buddhist, who most likely emerged from Sri Lanka. It is during this time that the Buddhist kingdom of the Maldives emerged. The Maldives remained as a Buddhist civilisation for more than thirteen centuries and is during this time that the nation’s iconic culture was formed.
Ever since the 2nd century, the Maldives islands had a strong trade relationship with Arabs. Legend has it that during the 1100s, the Maldivians had to sacrifice virgins to a malevolent sea-spirit in order to maintain their wellbeing, but an Arab Muslim drove it away by reading out of the Qur’an. Following this, the king at the time ordered the entire populace to convert into Islam.
To this day the Maldives remain a Muslim state and maintains strict traditional beliefs and customs. If you’re planning on visiting the Maldives, don’t worry too much since these laws are made very lax on the various resort islands.
Auburn Silver is a travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world. Google+