Now, a densely populated metropolis, only the 17th-century coral stone Old Friday Mosque, the 12th-century Dharumavantha Rasgefaanu Miskiiy, the old National Museum building, and the Medhu Ziyaarai (central tomb) – part of the Muleeaage (the official residence of the President) – remain as monuments to the vibrant past.

Malé, on the aptly-named Malé Atoll, is both the capital of the Maldives and the ancient King’s Island, where royal dynasties ruled from a walled city. While the early history is pretty hazy – some archaeologists speculate on links to the Romans – the islands became a stopover for Arab merchants on trading missions around the 2nd century CE, who were so pleased to find the shores covered in cowry shells – an early form of currency – that they named them the Money Isles. Mostly famed for white sandy beaches, palm trees, epic coral and clear turquoise waters, the Maldives is a perfect destination for those looking to relax, unwind and enjoy island life.įor those keen on digging a little deeper, however, the Maldives is an intriguing destination, sitting at the crux between cultures and empires, with a long and varied history thought to date back more than 2,500 years. A tropical archipelago lying on the equator between the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, the Maldives is made up of around 1,200 islands in 26 atolls.

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