MALE, April 8, 2021: The United States is proud to support the preservation of Maldivian cultural heritage with funding from the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), which marks its 20th Anniversary this month. Since 2001, AFCP has supported four projects in the Maldives with more than 1.4 million Maldivian rufiyaa ($95,000) in funding.
AFCP-supported projects in the Maldives include funding to the National Center for Linguistic and Historical Research in 2005 to renovate and conserve the Eid Mosque and in 2008 to conserve an archaeological site in Kaashidhoo, which was the first-ever pre-Islamic site in the Maldives to undergo such a conservation effort. In 2012, the Maldives’ Department of Heritage received AFCP funding to conserve ancient Buddhist and other artifacts belonging to Maldives’ pre-Islamic traditions. The project helped create a modern museum infrastructure by improving collection maintenance and preservation.
“Famed for its incredible environment and beauty, Maldives deserves to be equally renowned for its cultural treasures,” said U.S. Ambassador to Maldives Alaina B. Teplitz. “I’m delighted the American people have helped preserve Maldivian cultural heritage.”
As intangible cultural heritage is an essential element of a country’s history, in 2011 AFCP provided funding to Hulhevi Media to document the traditional Buruni ballad “Buruni Kamana Raivaru,” a stunning epic that has survived for over a century as an oral tradition. This ballad describes the practice of religion and women’s societal and economic roles in Maldivian history.
AFCP supports the preservation of cultural sites, objects, and forms of traditional cultural expression, having supported over 1,000 projects in more than 130 countries around the world since 2001. AFCP has helped communities around the world achieve their cultural heritage preservation goals through programs that strengthen civil society, spur economic growth, and foster respect for cultural diversity.
Dhivehi Translation (PDF 56 KB)
