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Mahe
Small, quaint, and densely settled, Malé (pronounced
'Mar-lay') is not spectacular, but quite unique as a capital
city. It's clean and tidy, with mosques, markets, a maze
of small streets and a certain charm all its own. While
it sometimes gives the impression of a sleepy country town,
there is new building work everywhere, and the place feels
like it will soon burst at the seams. |
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The island of Malé
is about 2km (1.2mi) long and 1km (0.62mi) wide, and packed
to the edges with buildings, roads and a few well-used open
spaces. Officially, the population is around 65,000, but
with foreign workers and short-term visitors from other
islands, there may be as many as 100,000 people in town
- it certainly feels like it. The size of the island has
been more than doubled through land reclamation projects
and nearby islands are used for the airport and other purposes.
There are plans to develop other islands to reduce the pressure
on Malé. |
Among the city's modest attractions
is the National Museum, which houses untidy exhibits of
the sultans' belongings and a smattering of Thor Heyerdahl's
archaeological discoveries - many of the ancient stone carvings
and figurines are featured in his book The Maldive Mystery.
Near the museum is the pleasant Sultan Park, and the imposing
white Islamic Centre & Grand Friday Mosque which dominates
the city's skyline. |
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There are over
20 other mosques scatttered around Malé, some little
more than a coral room with an iron roof. The oldest is
the Hukuru Miski, famed for its intricate stone carvings.
One long panel, carved in the 13th century, commemorates
the introduction of Islam to the Maldives, while outside
a graveyard holds the tomb of Abu Al Barakat and the tombstones
of former sultans.Other sights include the Singapore Bazaar,
a conglomeration of stores selling some quality local handicrafts
and an assortment of Maldivian and imported tourist knick-knackery.
Also interesting are the shops selling home hardware, marine
equipment, fishing gear and general merchandise for local
villages. In the many small teahouses Maldivian men enjoy
'short eats' (small snack meals), smoking, chewing and talking.
Malé has inexpensive food and accommodation, but
nightlife is confined to teahouses and a few western style
restaurants. A couple cinemas show Hindi epics and Hollywood
blockbusters. Malé's expatriates head to a nearby
resort on their day off. |
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