Male Atoll

Malé is the seat of the Maldivian sultans, set on a small coral island within an atoll of reefs and lagoons. From this island the rulers governed a long chain of communities whose boats carried people, coconuts, coir and cowries across the Indian Ocean. Mosques and royal buildings gave the capital a place of prominence within the archipelago.

In 1558 Portuguese forces seized Malé amid a struggle over the succession. Their rule was challenged by Muhammad Thakurufaanu of Utheemu and his companions, who led a campaign against them. They expelled the Portuguese in 1573, after which Muhammad became sultan. His rule marked a new chapter in the sultanate’s history as its rulers sought to secure the islands against outside intervention. Malé remained the political and religious centre of an island kingdom connected by sea to Arabia, India and the wider Indian Ocean.