MALDIVES REMOTE ATOLLS The Maldives the lowest country

MALDIVES : REMOTE ATOLLS The Maldives, the lowest country in the world, consist of 1, 192 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, along the north-south direction, spread over roughly 90, 000 square kilometres, making this one of the world's most dispersed countries. The northernmost atoll (290 kms from Male) is Haa Alifu Atoll which boosts the most interesting historical structures outside of Male. The southernmost atoll (540 kms from Male) is Addu Atoll, often called Addu City (with 30, 000 inhabitants, it is the most populated area outside of Male). The highest point of the Maldives (5. 1 m only) is located here. Dominique LAURENT Meet me on mosttraveledpeople. com or thebesttravelled. com AUTOMATIC

Faadhippolhu Atoll (Naifaru Island) : typical example of how small & crowded when inhabited the islands are.

UTHEEMU ISLAND (HAA ALIFU ATOLL) Utheemu Island is located in the Haa Alifu Atoll, the northernmost atoll of the Maldives, some 290 kms from Male. It is quite small (a close to perfect circle with a 600 m diameter) with 600 inhabitants, but is by far the most historically interesting island outside of Male. In 1558, the Portuguese annexed the Maldives, but in 1573, the Maldivian hero Thakurufaanu overthrew them. His small wooden palace still stands here.

Thakurufaanu Memorial (Maldivian hero who overthrew Portuguese rule in 1573)

Bodu Thakurufan Memorial Centre

Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace)

Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace)

Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace)

Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace)

Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace) (outside wall made of coral-stones)

Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace) (interiors are made of 500 years precious wood imported from India)

Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace) ('Ashige', = former sleeping room for guests)

Utheemu Ganduvaru (Thakurufaanu's palace) ('Ashige', = former sleeping room for guests)

'Lonely Tree', a sacred tree (near palace)

Schoolgirls

Kandhuvalu Mosque (dating from 16 th century)

Kandhuvalu Mosque

Kandhuvalu Mosque

Kandhuvalu Mosque

Kandhuvalu Mosque

Old tomb in cemetery around Kandhuvalu Mosque

Killing time in ‘jolis’ (net seats)

Bandaarainge Mosque

Fenaka (big state-run company providing electricity, water , sewerage and waste management)

Kindergarten (brighly painted as are many buildings in the Maldives)

Coral-stone walls

Typical street covered with white sand

Ruins of a traditional house made of coral & limestone is not allowed anymore to use coral for building purposes for obvious reasons) (it

Ruins of a traditional house made of coral & limestone

‘Jolis’ in front of a house

White sand beach (all around Utheemu Island)

VILINGILI ISLAND (ADDU ATOLL) Heart-shaped Addu Atoll is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. It is often called Addu City, as it is the only place to rival Male in size and importance. Vilingili Island is a superb island with one of the best resort of the country and a stunning vegetation (shown on 2 other PPSs). It has some historical relics.

Wreck of a ‘dhoni’ (traditional boat)

Former British artillery coastal garrison building

GAN ISLAND (ADDU ATOLL) Heart-shaped Addu Atoll is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. It is often called Addu City, as it is the only place to rival Male in size and importance. Its 30, 000 inhabitants are spread over 7 islands connected to each other by causeways, bridges and land reclamation. The main islands are : Gan, Feydhoo, Maradhoo and Hithadhoo. From Gan Island to Hithadhoo Island, the 16 kms ‘Addu Link Road’ causeway is the second longest paved causeway in the Maldives. Gan Island is the southernmost one of these 7 islands. It has a colonial feel as, during WW 2, the British established there a secret naval base. In 1956, they built an air-force base, thus causing the development of the other islands including the causeways. They pulled out in 1976. There is still an airport and remains of the British structures.

WW 2 Memorial

Garrison barracks of the former British base

Movie theatre of the former British base

Mosque ; in front of the mosque, the square was the location of church of the British base religious buildings – other than allowed, it was razed to the cemented the former As no muslim – are ground … Another evidence of muslim intolerance in the Maldives : pre-muslim ruins such as an ‘hawitta’ (Buddhist & Hindu stone prayer mound) in the homonymous Gan Island in Huvadhoo Atoll, originally a pyramid, discovered by Thor Heyerdahl, was destroyed ; in 2012, during islamic riots, islamists destroyed Bouddhist & Hindu statues in the National Museum …

Causeway linking Gan Island & Feydhoo Island

FEYDHOO ISLAND (ADDU ATOLL)

White Tern Monument (locally known as ‘Dhondheeni’ , the white tern is a small seabird traditionally only confined to the Addu Atoll)

Feydhoo School

Aman Mosque

Typical back street

Ruins of house made of coral & limestone

Ruins of house made of coral & limestone

A series of ‘undholis’ (swing seats)

MARADHOO ISLAND (ADDU ATOLL)

Decorated outside wall

Causeway & bridge linking Maradhoo Island & Hithadhoo Island

HITHADHOO ISLAND

Medheaari Kulhi (lake) & Equatorial Convention Centre (built for the 2011 SAARC Summit and never used since)

Medheaari Kulhi (lake)

Medheaari Kulhi (lake) Minaret of a modern mosque (near Equatorial Convention Centre)

Asseyri Magu (main street)

Walls made of coral & limestone

Wall & house made of coral & limestone

Old coral house

Political propaganda

Jumhooree Party (Republican Party) This party is presently part of a coalition with the ruling party (PPM – Progressive Party of the Maldives)

Traditional boat

Ikram Mosque (Daisy Magu) END