Muliaage
Encyclopedia
President of the Maldives
The President of the Maldives is the Head of State and Head of Government and first citizen of the Republic of Maldives and the Supreme Commander of the Maldivian armed forces.The current President of the Republic of Maldives is Mohamed Nasheed....
'. Muliaage is located at the historic centre of Male' in close proximity of the Medhu Ziyaarai, the Friday Mosque, and the Munnaru (Grand Minaret of Male').
The Beginning
The construction of Muliaa’ge, was initiated in the year 1914 and completed in 1919. It was commissioned by Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen IIIMuhammad Shamsuddeen III
Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen Iskander III, CMG, son of Ibrahim Nooraddeen and Kakaage Don Goma, was the Sultan of the Maldives first from May 7, 1893 and then again from 1902....
for his son and heir Prince Hassan Izzuddin. It was built on the style of bungalows in vogue during the colonial era in Ceylon and completed in preparation for the return of Prince Hassan Izzuddin to Male’ in 1920 after completing his education at the Royal College
Royal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
.
Muliaage, meaning the ‘’new house of Muli
Muli (Meemu Atoll)
Muli is the capital of Meemu Atoll, an atoll in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Muli is one of the Tsunami affected island in 26 December 2004....
’’ was built on the site of ‘’Mulee’ge’’, the ancestral home of Shamsuddeen. Mulee’ge was also the home of Sultan Hasan 'Izz ud-din (or ‘’Dhon Bandaarain’’ 1759-66) from his maternal side. It remained with the Huraa Dynasty
Huraa dynasty
The Huraa Dynasty was the sixth royal dynasty to rule over the Maldives. It was founded in 1757 by Sultan al-Ghazi Hasan 'Izz ud-din.-Rulers:List of Huraa Sultans:* Sultan al-Ghazi Hasan 'Izz ud-din...
rulers throughout its history. The last occupant of Mulee'ge was Prince Mulee’ge Manippulhu, who later ascended the throne as Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen III
Muhammad Shamsuddeen III
Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen Iskander III, CMG, son of Ibrahim Nooraddeen and Kakaage Don Goma, was the Sultan of the Maldives first from May 7, 1893 and then again from 1902....
in 1892.
Neither Muliaa’ge nor Mulee’ge ever served as a Royal Palace. However, it is located just a stone's throw away from the site of the former royal palace, now the Sultan's Park and the National Museum of Maldives. Most of the buildings in the royal palace grounds were demolished during Ibrahim Nasir’s
Ibrahim Nasir
Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan , KCMG, NGIV was a Maldivian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Maldives under Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi from 1957 to 1968 and succeeded him to become the first President of the Second Republic from...
presidency in the late 1960s. As such, today the nearest one could get to a royal Maldivian palace is Muliaa’ge in Male’ and the Utheemu Ganduvaru on the island of Utheemu
Utheemu (Haa Alif Atoll)
Utheemu is one of the inhabited islands of Haa Alif Atoll administrative division and geographically part of Thiladhummathi Atoll in the north of the Maldives. The birthplace of Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaanu, who with his brothers and his companions fought an eight-year long war to drive out the...
.
Muliaa’ge was occupied by Prince Hassan Izzuddin between 1920 and 1934. The house did not prove auspicious for the prince, though he apparently spent a lot of time there. It was famous throughout Male’, as a place for merriment and gaiety with numerous music and dance performances organised by the young prince for his entertainment. Izzuddin however soon became the victim of a smear campaign organized by his uncle Al Ameer Abdul Majeed Rannabandeyri Kilegefaanu and cousin Hassan Fareed. Ultimately he was discredited and banished in 1934 to the isolated southerly island of Fuvahmulah where he died in 1938.
Rise and Fall of the First Republic
Following Prince Izzudin’s arrest, Muliaa’ge remained abandoned and in disuse until the second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when it was used as the Ministry of Home Affairs by Mohamed Amin Didi
Mohamed Amin Didi
Al Ameer Mohamed Amin Dhoshimeynaa Kilegefaanu , popularly known as Mohamed Amin Didi was a Maldivian political figure. He served as the first president of the Maldives and as the head of government between January 1, 1953 and August 21, 1953...
. Following the abolition of the Maldivian Monarchy in 1952, the new President Mohamed Amin Didi
Mohamed Amin Didi
Al Ameer Mohamed Amin Dhoshimeynaa Kilegefaanu , popularly known as Mohamed Amin Didi was a Maldivian political figure. He served as the first president of the Maldives and as the head of government between January 1, 1953 and August 21, 1953...
officially made Muliaa’ge the Presidential Palace on 1 January 1953. Following Amin's ouster later that year it became the Prime Minister's Office under Ibrahim Faamuladheyri Kilegefaanu after the restoration of the monarchy under Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi
Muhammad Fareed Didi
King Muhammad Fareed Didi , the son of the Sultan Prince Abdul Majeed Didi . Muhammed Fareed Didi was the last Sultan of Maldives and the first Maldivian Monarch to assume the title of "King" with the style of "Your Majesty". He was the Sultan of Maldives from March 7, 1954 until November 11, 1968...
.
During the Second Republic
After a long period of disuse, the first president of the second republic, Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri KilegefanIbrahim Nasir
Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan , KCMG, NGIV was a Maldivian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Maldives under Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi from 1957 to 1968 and succeeded him to become the first President of the Second Republic from...
once again declared Muliaa’ge as the Presidential Palace in 1968. Although it was the official residence of the president, Nasir only took temporary residence at Muliaa’ge while his own house Velaanaa’ge was being construction. Initially President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom resided at Muliaa’ge for the first two decades of his presidency. However deeming Muliaa’ge insufficient, Maumoom commissioned Theemuge
Theemuge
Theemuge is the site of the former presidential palace of Maldives. Upgraded to presidential standards in 1992 by then-president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, Theemuge served as the presidential palace until 2008, when Gayyoom was overthrown in the country's first democratic election...
to be built and declared it the official Presidential Palace in 1998. Muliaa’ge was under much neglect and it served as the President’s Office and later the Supreme Court during the latter years of Maumoon’s presidency.
In 2008, after defeating Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom in the Maldives’ first democratic multi-party elections
Maldivian presidential election, 2008
Presidential elections were held in the Maldives on October 8 and 28, 2008. On October 8, no candidate gained more than 50% of the vote; a runoff was held on October 28 between Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed and his running mate, Dr. Mohammed Waheed Hassan. Nasheed and Dr...
, Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed is a Maldivian politician. He is the current President of the Maldives. He is the founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party and was its presidential candidate in the October 2008 presidential election, defeating long-time President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in a second round of voting...
became the third president of the second republic. Nasheed was a strong critic of Maumoon’s government and its alleged overspending. On these grounds president Nasheed refused to use Theemuge due to the high costs of maintaining it as a house of residence and stayed at his own house Yaagoothu’ge for the first few months of his presidency. However, on February 4, 2009, president Nasheed moved to Muliaa’ge once again declaring it the official residence of the Maldivian President.
Famous guests who stayed at Muliaa’ge include Queen Elizabeth II during Nasir’s presidency and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
of India under president Maumoon.
Usage of Building
| Title | Duration | Ruler | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residence of Crown Prince Hassan Izzuddin | 1920 - 1934 | Muhammad Shamsuddeen III Muhammad Shamsuddeen III Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen Iskander III, CMG, son of Ibrahim Nooraddeen and Kakaage Don Goma, was the Sultan of the Maldives first from May 7, 1893 and then again from 1902.... |
|
| Ministry of Home Affairs | 1939 - ? | Abdul Majeed Didi (Regent: Hassan Fareed Didi) Mohamed Amin Didi Mohamed Amin Didi Al Ameer Mohamed Amin Dhoshimeynaa Kilegefaanu , popularly known as Mohamed Amin Didi was a Maldivian political figure. He served as the first president of the Maldives and as the head of government between January 1, 1953 and August 21, 1953... |
|
| Presidential Palace | 1953-1954 | Mohamed Amin Didi Mohamed Amin Didi Al Ameer Mohamed Amin Dhoshimeynaa Kilegefaanu , popularly known as Mohamed Amin Didi was a Maldivian political figure. He served as the first president of the Maldives and as the head of government between January 1, 1953 and August 21, 1953... |
|
| Prime Minister's Office | 1954-1968 | Muhammad Fareed Didi Muhammad Fareed Didi King Muhammad Fareed Didi , the son of the Sultan Prince Abdul Majeed Didi . Muhammed Fareed Didi was the last Sultan of Maldives and the first Maldivian Monarch to assume the title of "King" with the style of "Your Majesty". He was the Sultan of Maldives from March 7, 1954 until November 11, 1968... |
|
| Presidential Palace | 1968-1998 | Ibrahim Nasir Ibrahim Nasir Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan , KCMG, NGIV was a Maldivian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Maldives under Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi from 1957 to 1968 and succeeded him to become the first President of the Second Republic from... Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom |
Office moved to Theemuge Theemuge Theemuge is the site of the former presidential palace of Maldives. Upgraded to presidential standards in 1992 by then-president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, Theemuge served as the presidential palace until 2008, when Gayyoom was overthrown in the country's first democratic election... |
| President's Office | ? | Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom | |
| Supreme Court of the Maldives | 2008-2009 | Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom | Office moved to Theemuge Theemuge Theemuge is the site of the former presidential palace of Maldives. Upgraded to presidential standards in 1992 by then-president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, Theemuge served as the presidential palace until 2008, when Gayyoom was overthrown in the country's first democratic election... |
| Official Residence of the President | 2009- | Mohamed Nasheed Mohamed Nasheed Mohamed Nasheed is a Maldivian politician. He is the current President of the Maldives. He is the founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party and was its presidential candidate in the October 2008 presidential election, defeating long-time President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in a second round of voting... |
Medhu Ziyaarai
Medhu Ziyaarai (literally 'Central Tomb') was a part of the original Muliaage building. Today, it is an enclave of Muliaage; separate from the building. It houses the tomb of MoroccanMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
scholar Abul Barakat Yousef Al-Berberi, who is believed to have introduced Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
to the nation in 1153.
See also
- TheemugeTheemugeTheemuge is the site of the former presidential palace of Maldives. Upgraded to presidential standards in 1992 by then-president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, Theemuge served as the presidential palace until 2008, when Gayyoom was overthrown in the country's first democratic election...
- History of the MaldivesHistory of the MaldivesThe Maldives is a nation consisting of 26 natural atolls, comprising 1192 islands-Historical setting:Since very ancient times, the Maldives were ruled by kings and occasionally queens ....
- President of the MaldivesPresident of the MaldivesThe President of the Maldives is the Head of State and Head of Government and first citizen of the Republic of Maldives and the Supreme Commander of the Maldivian armed forces.The current President of the Republic of Maldives is Mohamed Nasheed....
- List of Sultans of the Maldives