A Glimpse of Ancient Maldives

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In the Maldivian Lounge, located on the first floor behind the Sails Bar, are several maps depicting the Maldives in historical times. Two of the maps are copperplate engravings, one with contemporary hand colouring, of the islands as a British cartographer, Robert Morden, visualised them 325 years ago.

Robert Morden (1650-1703) was a British bookseller,  publisher, and maker of maps and globes. He was among the first successful commercial map makers and specialised in maps of England. His rare map of the Maldives was accompanied with a remarkable description of the Maldives in the 17th century.

In the quaint printing style of the 17th century (where the letter “s” appears like the letter “f”) he states: “The Maldives Islands derive their name from the principal city, called Male, and Dive which signifies an island. “There are reckoned to be about 12,000, but that is supposed to be only by taking a certain number for an uncertain. They are dispersed from the north-west to the south-east, into 13 provinces, which the inhabitants call Attollons, every one of which is fenced with a bank of sand; but some of them are only sand hills, or rocks, being all of them very little, for Male, the chief, is but a league about...

“The natives are little, olive coloured and Mahumetans. their cocos are very profitable to them, for of those they make honey, sugar and milk. They eat almonds instead of bread...To preserve their wares from vermin, they build storehouses upon piles in the sea, about an 100 paces from the isles.”

Today, at Baros, those ‘storehouses upon piles’ have been superseded by luxury overwater villas, and wine comes from around the world. Many of us overlook the fascinating history of the Maldives but as the ancient maps and accounts reveal, they have intrigued and delighted visitors since time began.

Source: IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives
http://www.baros.com/uploads/wysiwyg/documents/IN%20TOUCH/IN%20TOUCH%20Quarter%201%202013.pdf