Book and enjoy big
savings. From hotel resort accommodations for your business
trip to a luxury island holiday for your vacation, experience in Maldives.
An Experience that will always
Reminisce...
Arts &
Craft
The beautifully
carved tombstones in some of the old cemeteries
and the fine stone carving of the Hukuru
Miskiiy in Male’ bear witness to the
intricate skills of Maldivian stone carvers
of the past. Maldivians are deft craftsman
producing beautifully crafted pieces mostly
out of what is available locally. Although
many of the skills have been passed on from
generation to generation and lives on even
today.The art calligraphy has strong connections
with the Islam. Old and new mosques display
beautifully penned versus from the Holy
Quran. The Islamic Center exhibits some
of the finest samples of the work of modern
calligraphers in the Nationality.
While many crafts have become obsolete,
others have found new life with the advent
of tourism. The production of ornaments
from tortoise shells and black coral once
valued by visitors has now ceased completely
because of the growing careness among the
public on the need to preserve the environment.
Wooden Lacquer
Ware
Perhaps the most distinctive of the Maldivian
handicrafts, these are almost exlclusively
produced in Thulhaadhoo in Baa Atoll. Liye
Laajehun as it is called in Dhivehi involves
the process of shaping and hollowing out pieces
of wood to form beautifully crafted boxes,
containers and ornamental objects. Made from
the local funa, (Alexandrian laurel) which
grows abundantly throughout the Nationality,
they come in various shapes and sizes; small
pillboxes, vases of various sizes to round
and oval plates with lids. These elegant pieces
are lacquered in strands of red, black and
yellow resin and delicately carved with flowing
flowery patterns.
Mats
Beautiful red mats are woven throughout
the Nationality, the most famous of which
are those that are woven by the women of Gadhdhoo
in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. Thundu Kunaa as they
are known in Dhivehi ranges in size from that
of a place mat to a full size single mattress.
The women of Gadhdhoo collect the reeds called
haa from the nearby island of Fioari. They
are dried in the sun and stained with natural
dyes, the colour varying from fawn to black.
These mats with their intricate abstract designs
are woven on a handloom according to the imagination
and skill of the weaver.
Boat Building
Although the tools used in the building
of dhonis have changed, little has changed
of its basic design. As in the past, the boats
are still being built without a documented
plan. The design and symmetry of the boat
emerges as the boat is being built.
Imported hardwoods are used in the place
of coconut wood, which was used in place
of coconut wood, which was used in the past
to make the hull. Copper rivets are used
to hold the planks together instead of coir,
which was used for the purpose even half
a century ago. The square sail made of coconut
fronds gave way to a triangular lateen sail.
Even though this is still considered essential
and is carried on board, it is used only
during emergencies or to ease the strain
of the engines. Almost all Dhonis are driven
by diesel power.
Dhonis are mainly used for fishing and provide
the livehood for a large proportion of the
population. Others are modified to be used
for transportation of passengers.
A dhoni may be as small as 10ft. (3 m)
used mostly to travel across short distances
or to traverse the shallow waters of the
lagoon. Islanders often use these ferry
across to nearby islands for firewood. The
average fishing dhoni used to be around
10 metres (33 feett), however the new generation
fishing vessels can be twice the size or
even larger. The basic design of dhonis
has proven to be seaworthy as it has been
tested and tuned for centuries. Even the
luxury cruise vessels that are built in
the Nationality uses the same basic hull
design and can be as long as 30 meters (100
feet) or more.
