The National Museum in Maldives is seen as a leading tourist attraction in Maldives. It is situated in Sultan Park which used to be part of the sultan’s palace. The three-storey building boasts a collection of rare and valuable historical artefacts that range from royal antiques to objects made out of stone and carvings that go back up to even pre-Islamic and Buddhist eras. Since the original sultan’s palace was destroyed and demolished by a fire in 1968, it is only the structure of the National Museum of Maldives that remains intact today. Tourists can look to stay at Maldives luxury resort such as COMO Maalifushi, The Maldives and make visiting this museum a priority in their excursion list.
The museum is opened to the public from Sunday to Thursday between 8 am to 6 pm and closed on special holidays. You would not imagine that most of the palace building of the sultans has been converted to house the museum as it stands today. If you want to study Maldives history and its rich and diverse cultural heritage then you would definitely visit the National Museum of Maldives.
The museum was first opened to the public on the National Day of Maldives on 19th November 1952. The Prime Minister at the time, Ameer Mohamed Amin Didi was instrumental in inaugurating it back then. The main purpose of launching the Maldives National Museum was to safeguard the history of the country and to stir patriotic feelings in its citizens’ hearts and minds. There are some fascinating objects that are housed inside the building. They include many colourful costumes and ornaments that were worn by royalty as well as stone items coming from Maldives’ pre-historic era. Other items that can be seen include arms and ammunition, cloth and paper manuscripts, photos of VIP personalities and anthropological objects depicting the bygone Maldivian lifestyle.
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.