Five coral-stone mosques in the Maldives have a strong chance of being included on the UNESCO World Heritage List next year, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Heena Waleed has said.
Speaking on the ninth episode of the Ahaa Forum, a programme produced in collaboration between the President’s Office and PSM, Minister Heena said the Maldives had been working for 13 years to secure the inclusion of a Maldivian mosque on the World Heritage List.
The minister said several coral-stone mosques in the Maldives were submitted for consideration for UNESCO World Heritage status in January this year. She added that the ministry was informed that UNESCO had inspected the sites in September.
As part of the process, a UNESCO evaluation team visited the Maldives, inspected the sites, met with local communities and engaged with relevant institutions. The evaluation process has now been completed, the minister said.
“Our hope is that, God willing, these sites will be included on the list towards the end of 2027. This will bring significant benefits to the islands where the mosques are located and to the Maldivian economy. The Maldives’ heritage will gain international recognition, and the number of visitors coming to see these mosques will also increase,” Minister Heena said.
The minister also highlighted ongoing efforts to address challenges facing the Dhivehi language.
She noted that the Dhivehi Language Academy is responsible for revitalising and promoting the language. The academy organises various competitions targeting different age groups, including public speaking and poetry competitions, as well as other literary events held nationally each year.
Minister Heena said the academy had completed work to upgrade the Dhivehi "Radheef" or dictionary to include additional words and had launched a new edition.
She added that studies were being conducted in collaboration with various stakeholders to promote the creative development of the language. Work is also under way to establish a language research centre and organise an exhibition dedicated to the Dhivehi language.
The minister said efforts to compile a Dhivehi language grammar book were progressing rapidly, with the work expected to be completed by November next year.
The government is implementing various programmes to revitalise the Dhivehi language and preserve it for future generations. Minister Heena emphasised the importance of addressing the challenges facing the language through efforts at both community and family levels.