Utheemu Ganduvaru palace
The main attraction of the island, the Utheemu Ganduvaru Palace (now preserved as a museum) was the residence of Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu and is over 500 years old. Visitors to this national attraction will be escorted around the complex by museum staff members, and have the opportunity to see fascinating wooden interiors, swing beds, old-school lamps that burn using coconut palm oil and elaborate wooden carvings, as well as the large palmthatched shed that was once used as sleeping rooms for guests. One of the most fascinating highlights of the palace is a simple, unassuming hole in a wooden wall, which projected moving images of the exterior on the drapes of the bed – almost like a pin-hole camera. This little hole was the closest thing that the locals then had to CCTV. The sultan may have been the bravest of Maldivians, but he didn’t take any chances in ensuring his home was kept safe!