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Arts and Craft
Maldivians who lived before us were the masters of stone carvings. If you visit some of the older
cemeteries and mosques you would be amazed by the craftsmanship of the early Maldivians when you see
the beautifully carved tombstones with such great care and expertise. Even each of the little stones of the
walls of the old Mosques had been carved excellently. Inside the mosques you will find verses from the
Holy Quran carved in such beauty that one will think modern tools had been used to produce masterpieces
such as these. If you happen to visit the Capital of Maldives (Male’), don’t leave the Island before you’ve
seen HUKURU MISKIIY, which means Friday Mosques and is one of the oldest mosques in the Maldives.
Maldivians who lived before us were the masters of stone carvings. If you visit some of the older
cemeteries and mosques you would be amazed by the craftsmanship of the early Maldivians when you see
the beautifully carved tombstones with such great care and expertise. Even each of the little stones of the
walls of the old Mosques had been carved excellently. Inside the mosques you will find verses from the
Holy Quran carved in such beauty that one will think modern tools had been used to produce masterpieces
such as these. If you happen to visit the Capital of Maldives (Male’), don’t leave the Island before you’ve
seen HUKURU MISKIIY, which means Friday Mosques and is one of the oldest mosques in the Maldives.
Wooden Lacquer Ware
At present the creation of beautifully crafted boxes containers and ornamental objects by hollowing
and shaping out pieces of wood remains the most distinctive of the Maldives handicrafts. They come
in all sorts of shapes and sizes; small pillboxes, vases of various sizes to round and oval plates with
lids. These are made from the local funa, (Alexandrian laurel) which grows lavishly throughout the
country. These graceful pieces are lacquered in strands of red, black and yellow resin and carefully
carved with graceful flowery patterns. This entire process has a Dhivehi name for it “Laajehun”.
Mats
Mats were once woven all through the country. The art is now disappearing fast. Some Maldives
Islands have taken the liberty to revive the art to pass on to the coming generations. Once such
island in the Maldives is Gadh-dhoo ( in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll). “Thudu Kunaa” as they are known as in
Dhivehi (the local Maldives Language) is woven by the women of the island. Thudu Kunaas range in
size from that of a Place Mat to a full size Single Mattress.
The women of Gadhdhoo gather the reeds called haa from the close by island of Fioari. They are
dried in the sun and discolored with natural dyes, the colour varying from fawn to black. These mats
with their intricate designs are woven on a handloom according to the imagination and skill of the
weaver.
Boat Building
Dhonis as we call it is built without a blueprint of how the end product is going to be even at this age.
The design of the boat is a suspense until the boat is built completely. In the olden days coconut
wood was used to make the hull of the dhoni. However hardwood which has to be imported has
replaced the coconut wood.
Copper rivets are used to grip the planks together. 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 used for fishing, ferrying and transport of goods from one Island to the other and varies
in shape and design depending on how it would be executed for.
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