National Museum (Maldives)

Coordinates: 4°10′30″N 73°30′32″E / 4.17500°N 73.50889°E / 4.17500; 73.50889
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

National Museum
Map
Established11 November 1952 (1952-11-11)
LocationMalé, Maldives
Coordinates4°10′30″N 73°30′32″E / 4.17500°N 73.50889°E / 4.17500; 73.50889
Thulhadhoo
kept at the National Museum
Maldivian Tara,[1] 30 cm high etching on Porites coral stone from the 9th century kept at the National Museum in Malé, Maldives

Established on the National Day of the Maldives, the first National Museum of the country was opened on 11 November 1952,[2] by the Prime Minister at the time, Mohamed Amin Didi.

Overview

With the purpose of preserving history and instilling patriotism among the people of the Maldives,[citation needed] the museum has a large collection of historical artifacts, ranging from stone objects to fragments of royal antiquities from the Buddhist era to the rule of Islamic monarchs.

The museum was previously administered by the Maldivian Center for Linguistic and Historical Research.[

Maldives College of Higher Education.[3]

Building

The three-story museum (old building) is located in the

Sultan Park in Malé
, which is part of the site of the Maldivian Royal Palace compound dating back to the 17th century. The two-storey Us-gēkolhu is the only remaining structure of the palace demolished by fire in 1968.

The new building of the museum is also located in

national museum
two weeks later on Maldives' Independence Day, 26 July 2010.

The interior of the museum has been retained from the days of the Sultanate, including the handwritten

Qur'an
engraved on the walls of the building.

Collections

A diverse collection of artifacts are displayed in the museum, including relics from the foregone pre-Islamic period era, thrones, royal sunshades and furniture, costumes and shoes, coins, ornaments, arms and armor.

Others examples include textiles such as ceremonial dresses, turbans, fancy slippers and belts used on special occasions, mats, lacquer work and other creative embroidery.

Highlights of the collections include:[citation needed]

  • A coral stone head of
    Alifu Thoddoo
  • A 13th-century engraved wooden plank from Hukuru Miskiiy
  • The Feyli Kolhu worn by the Sultan Ghaazee Mohammed Thakurufaanu-al-A"z"am is a fine example of the intricate craftsmanship of the Maldivian weavers in the 16th century.

Destruction of pre-Islamic artifacts

The Buddhist statues were destroyed during an attack in February 2012. Museum director Ali Waheed said that almost all the museum's pre-Islamic artifacts, dating back to before the 12th century, had been destroyed: "Some of the pieces can be put together but mostly they are made of sandstone, coral and limestone, and they are reduced to powder." He said the museum had "nothing [left] to show" of the country's pre-Islamic history.[4][5]

Among the damaged objects were a six-faced coral statue, an 18 in (46 cm) high bust of Buddha, as well as assorted limestone and coral statues.[6]

Opening times

See also

References

  1. ISBN 84-7254-801-5
    .
  2. ^ Maldives Tourist Attractions - National Museum Maldives
  3. ^ "President abolishes National Centre for Linguistic and Historical Research". Miadhu News. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  4. ^ Jayasinghe, Amal (11 February 2012). "Trouble in paradise: Maldives and Islamic extremism". Archived from the original on 14 April 2012.
  5. ^ "Maldives museum reopens minus smashed Hindu images"[permanent dead link], Associated Press, 14 February 2012
  6. ^ Bajaj, Vikas (13 February 2012). "Vandalism at Maldives Museum Stirs Fears of Extremism". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023.

External links

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