Maldives History

Monumental legacy: the Maldives’ largest coral tombstones

A tale of royalty and craftsmanship.

Amina Rani: the last queen of the Maldives

The story of Amina Rani provides a fascinating glimpse into 18th-century Maldivian royal politics, and the remarkable reign of this young monarch who assumed the throne at just eight years old following the Malabar attack.

The lost traditions of Hithi days: a glimpse into Maldives’ Ramadan festivities before the 1960s

A royal Ramadan tradition rooted in Sufi practices, lost to reform and modernisation.

What's in a name: Maldives throughout millennia

A chronicle of designations from ancient Sanskrit to modern times.

The burden of ‘budhu’-a new age for Dhivehi

Comment: Ages of ice and spice

Comment: The inappropriate history of early Maldives

Abandoned historical documents salvaged for public access