National Museum

National museum remains one of the most visited tourist attraction in Maldives. It was opened on November 11, 1952 and was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Mohamed Amin Didi. The sole purpose of raising this museum was to preserve history and instil a sense of patriotism among the locals of the country. Visit here to explore its grand collection of historical artefacts, including everything from stone objects to royal antiquities. Earlier it was managed by the Maldivian Centre for Linguistic and Historical Research. However, later it came under the management of Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

National museum is a three-storied museum in the Sultan Park in Malé. It gives you a beautiful ride into the history with a diverse collection of artefacts. Walk around and explore exhibits like pre-Islamic period era, thrones, royal sunshades and furniture, costumes, etc. Also, witness ancient textiles in the form of dresses, turbans, fancy slippers and belts. Some of the most popular exhibits here include coral stone head of Lord Buddha belonging to 11th-century. There is also an engraved wooden plank from Hukuru Miskiiy which catches the attention of all.

The museum faced destruction in February 2012 by a mob when many Buddhist statues were destroyed here. In this attack, many pre-Islamic artefacts of the museum dating before the 12th century were reduced to powder. However, it still remains a great puller for history seekers.