National Centre for Culture and Heritage has revealed that the cemetery at the Friday Mosque in Fuvahmulah City has been vandalised.
The cemetery in Fuvahmulah City’s Friday Mosque contains some of the oldest recorded tombstones in the Maldives. The vandalism at the site has destroyed two of the tombstones which marked the graves of deceased local rulers. The tombstones were four feet long and made in limestone and designed with Arabic calligraphy.
The heritage centre stated that the incident has been reported to the Maldives Police Service (MPS). The case is now under serious investigation and the National Heritage Committee has begun assessing the damages. The centre stated that the vandalism occurred on June 13 and that it is obtaining details of the incident with assistance from the Fuvahmulah City Council.
Damaging or destroying a Maldivian cultural heritage site is an offense that comes with criminal charges and hefty fines ranging between USD650-65,000.