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Description
While being one of the most historical places in Male', Maldives, this graveyard adjacent to the Hukuru Miskiiy (Friday Mosque) sure has an abandoned and forgotten feel to it. The gravestones in the front row have all fallen down for some reason over the time. What I found interesting was that all the gravestones in the front row only had fallen. None of the stones behind them have fallen and are quite sturdy. If it was the wind then it sure was one heck of a windy day that did it.

The remains of many of Maldives' great Sultans are buried here. Several even have monuments (like the small building on the left) dedicated to them and these are decorated with stone carvings in intricate designs. The craft of carving stone has been lost to Maldives for some time, although there apparently are many old men who still know the art in some rural islands.

The white tower in the background is the Munnaar, where the Mudhim calls the faithful for prayers. These two historical sites, the graveyard and the Munnaaru, stand together in stark contrast of how forgotten and popular. Only tourists are interested in the graveyard and it's history; while the locals only pay attention to the Mosque next door.

The construction of the Maldives National Defence Force's new building across the road is reputedly causing irrecoverable damage to the historical graveyard as dust from the cement and other pollutants fall into the graveyard. I wish the Maldives government would pay as much attention to conservation of the graveyard as they did to restoring the Friday Mosque. This place is no less historically significant, in my opinion.

Description
While being one of the most historical places in Male', Maldives, this graveyard adjacent to the Hukuru Miskiiy (Friday Mosque) sure has an abandoned and forgotten feel to it. The gravestones in the front row have all fallen down for some reason over the time. What I found interesting was that all the gravestones in the front row only had fallen. None of the stones behind them have fallen and are quite sturdy. If it was the wind then it sure was one heck of a windy day that did it.

The remains of many of Maldives' great Sultans are buried here. Several even have monuments (like the small building on the left) dedicated to them and these are decorated with stone carvings in intricate designs. The craft of carving stone has been lost to Maldives for some time, although there apparently are many old men who still know the art in some rural islands.

The white tower in the background is the Munnaar, where the Mudhim calls the faithful for prayers. These two historical sites, the graveyard and the Munnaaru, stand together in stark contrast of how forgotten and popular. Only tourists are interested in the graveyard and it's history; while the locals only pay attention to the Mosque next door.

The construction of the Maldives National Defence Force's new building across the road is reputedly causing irrecoverable damage to the historical graveyard as dust from the cement and other pollutants fall into the graveyard. I wish the Maldives government would pay as much attention to conservation of the graveyard as they did to restoring the Friday Mosque. This place is no less historically significant, in my opinion.