Male' City Tour
The Hub of All Business
Male', the capital of the Maldives, is the commercial center, seat of government and the location of many important historical and religious landmarks. With an area of just over 1.77 square Km, it is home to over seventy thousand people, and the busiest and the most populous island in the archipelago. In the past, it has been known as the Sultan's island.
OLD FRIDAY MOSQUE
Hukuru Miskiiy is the oldest mosque in the country, dating from 1656. It’s a beautiful structure made from coral stone into which intricate decoration and Quranic script have been carved. Even though an ugly protective corrugated-iron sheet now covers the roof and some of the walls, this is still a fascinating place. The interior is superb and famed for its fine lacquer work and elaborate woodcarvings. One long panel, carved in the 13th century, commemorates the introduction of Islam to the Maldives. Visitors wishing to see inside are supposed to get permission from an official of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs . However, most of the staff are officials of the ministry, and if you are respectful and well dressed, they will usually give you permission to enter the mosque on the spot.
The mosque was built on the foundations of an old temple that faced west to the setting sun, not northwest towards Mecca. Consequently, the worshippers have to face the corner of the mosque when they pray – the striped carpet, laid at an angle, shows the correct direction.
Overlooking the mosque is the solid, round, blue-and-white tower of the munnaaru – the squat minaret. Though it doesn’t look that old, it dates from 1675. To one side of the mosque is a cemetery with many elaborately carved tombstones. Stones with rounded tops are for females, those with pointy tops are for males and those featuring gold-plated lettering are the graves of former sultans. The small buildings are family mausoleums and their stone walls are intricately carved. Respectably dressed non-Muslims are welcome to walk around the graveyard; you don’t require permission for this.
SUBMARINE RIDE
The Whale Submarine can hardly be described as a sight of Male, but it’s a popular excursion. First things first, this is not a submarine for whale watching – its name is slightly misleading. It is, in fact, a submarine for looking at life on a reef. It’s hard to recommend for divers, as the trip can’t really compare to a real dive, but for kids (under-threes are not allowed) and those who don’t dive, this is a great, if pricey, little excursion. As the submarine departs from a point off the coast, you have to get a boat either from the airport or Jetty No 1 (President’s Jetty). A boat picks up from both about 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the submarine. You should ring ahead and book a place (there are several departures daily) so the boat can pick you up. At the submarine dock (the ‘Whale House’) you pay your money, have a cool drink and board the sub.
The sub takes a few minutes to get to its dive spot, and then descends to about 35m while passengers gaze out at the view through large, lenslike windows. A variety of fish come very close to the windows, attracted partly by the food that the sub dispenses and partly by the sub itself. Surgeonfish, blue-striped snapper and unicornfish are among the most commonly seen, but you will have an excellent view of smaller creatures as well, such as lionfish and anemonefish. The sub goes very close to a reef wall, and its lights illuminate crevices and show up colours that wouldn’t be visible in natural light.
The total time spent underwater is about 45 minutes, but allow 1½ hours for the whole trip. Many people manage to fit in a submarine trip if they have a few hours to spare at the airport before their departure flight. The sub maintains normal surface pressure inside, so it’s quite safe to fly straight afterwards
GRAND FRIDAY MOSQUE
The golden dome of this impressive but rather sterile mosque dominates the skyline of Male and has become something of a symbol for the city. Set back off the main square, Jumhooree Maidan, and opposite the National Security Service Headquarters, this is the biggest mosque in the country.
Opened in 1984, and built with help from the Gulf States, Pakistan, Brunei and Malaysia, the Grand Friday Mosque is striking in its plainness, built in white marble and virtually free from decoration. From a boat coming into Male’s harbour, you can still see the gold dome glinting in the sun, although the gold is actually anodised aluminium. The munnaaru, with its space-age shape and distinctive zigzag decoration, was supposed to be the tallest structure in Male, but that title now goes to the telecommunications towers.
Visits to see the Grand Friday Mosque must be between 9am and 5pm, and outside prayer times. It closes to all non-Muslims 15 minutes before prayers and for the following hour. Before noon and between 2pm and 3pm are the best times to visit. Invading bands of casual sightseers are not encouraged, but if you are genuinely interested and suitably dressed, you’ll be welcomed by one of the staff members who hang out by the entrance. Men must wear long trousers and women a long skirt or dress.
The main prayer hall inside the mosque can accommodate up to 5000 worshippers and has beautifully carved wooden side panels and doors, a specially woven carpet and impressive chandeliers. The Islamic Centre also includes a conference hall, library and classrooms.
NATIONAL MUSUEM
The brand new National Museum may be a ferociously ugly building gifted by China, but it nevertheless contains an excellent and well-labelled collection of historic artefacts that serve to trace the unusual history of these isolated islands.
The display begins downstairs with galleries devoted to the ancient and medieval periods of Maldivian history. Items on display include weaponry, religious paraphernalia and household wares as well as many impressively carved Arabic- and Thaana-engraved pieces of wood commemorating the conversion of the Maldives to Islam in 1153.
Upstairs is a display representing the modern period and including some prized examples of the lacquer-work boxes for which the Maldives are famous, and various pieces of antique technology including the country’s first gramophone, telephone and a massive computer. Quirkier relics include the minutes of the famous underwater cabinet meeting held under President Nasheed in 2009 and an impressive marine collection, the highlight of which is the 6m-long skeleton of the very rare Longman’s Beaked Whale, which is yet to have been sighted alive in the sea.
Rather annoyingly, despite nearly all items being safely behind glass, you’re followed around the museum rather unsubtly by a guard, but that aside, this is an excellent and fascinating place to visit.
MARKETS
The busy produce market gives a real flavour of the Maldives – people from all over the country gather here to sell home-grown and imported vegetables. Coconuts and bananas are the most plentiful produce, but look inside for the stacks of betel leaf, for wrapping up a ‘chew’. Just wandering around, watching the hawkers and the shoppers and seeing the vast array of products on display is fascinating and as real a Maldivian experience as possible.
Nearby is the fish market , which is not to be missed, although the squeamish may well object to the buckets of entrails or the very public gutting of fish going on all around. This is the soul of Male – and it’s great fun watching the day’s catch being brought in to the market from the adjacent fishing harbour. Look out for some truly vast tuna, octopus and grouper. Fishing and marketing are men’s work here, and Maldivian women don’t usually venture into these areas, although foreign women walking around won’t cause any raised eyebrows.
ARTIFICIAL BEACH
The eastern seafront of Male is the city’s recreational centre. Here a sweet little beach has been crafted from the breakwater tetrapods and there’s a whole range of fast food cafes next to it as well as open fields for ad hoc games of soccer and cricket. Further up towards the airport ferry there are fairground attractions at the Majeediyya Carnival , including a bowling alley and more eateries. The other way you’ll see the charming tetrapod monument , a local salute to the mini concrete structures that together form a life-saving breakwater for the city.