The Evolution of Dhivehi Art: From Ancient Carvings to Modern Expressions

In the heart of Malé, the Hukuru Miskiy (Old Friday Mosque) stands as a testament to centuries of Dhivehi artistry. Built from coral stone in 1658, its walls are etched with arabesques, geometric patterns, and Quranic calligraphy — a fusion of Islamic faith and indigenous craft that defined Maldivian visual culture for generations.

Walk through the mosque’s coral-stone gateway and you’re stepping into a lineage that reaches back to Buddhist carvings from the 5th century BCE, passes through the Islamic sultanate’s golden age of craft, and continues today in Malé’s street art and gallery scene. This article traces that evolution — from ancient stupas to contemporary climate art — and asks how a small island nation of roughly 500,000 people has sustained such distinct visual traditions across two millennia.

Each period represents a distinct chapter, but the boundaries are porous. Carving techniques from the Buddhist era influenced coral stone work under the sultanate. Lacquerwork motifs reappear in contemporary painting. The evolution is not a clean break but a series of adaptations, losses, and revivals.

Ancient Foundations: Buddhism, Script, and Early Carvings

Before Islam, before the sultanate, the Maldives was a Buddhist kingdom with its own visual language.

Archaeological evidence suggests the Maldives was inhabited as early as 500 BCE, with settlers from southern India and Sri Lanka bringing Dravidian traditions and, later, Buddhism. For centuries, the islands were a Buddhist kingdom, and remnants of stupas, statues, and monastery ruins survive on islands like Thoddoo and Fuvahmulah. These are among the earliest surviving examples of Dhivehi visual culture — carved coral stone and palm-leaf manuscripts that predate the Islamic period by more than a millennium.

The early Maldivian script, Eveyla Akuru, was influenced by ancient Brahmi writing systems from the Indian subcontinent. Inscriptions carved onto coral stone and palm leaves are the closest thing we have to a direct record of early Dhivehi aesthetic priorities — geometric, precise, and deeply tied to religious practice. The exact origins of this script remain debated among linguists, with some arguing for a direct Dravidian lineage and others pointing to a more complex mixture of influences.

The Buddhist ruins buried beneath Maldivian sands are still being excavated, and much of what we know comes from limited archaeological work. The full extent of pre-Islamic art in the Maldives remains an open question.

Looking closer at Eveyla Akuru reframed the whole question for me — these carvings are not just writing but the earliest surviving Dhivehi art, and they deserve attention as aesthetic objects, not just historical documents.

The Coral Stone Age: Islamic Architecture and Hukuru Miskiy

The adoption of Islam in 1153 CE transformed Maldivian art, but it did not erase what came before — it adapted local materials and techniques to new religious purposes.

The tradition of Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari, a North African scholar credited with introducing Islam to the Maldives, brought new aesthetic priorities: mosques replaced stupas, calligraphy replaced figural representation, and the visual arts became primarily non-representational. But the materials remained the same — coral stone, wood, lacquer — and so did many of the techniques.

The pinnacle of this period is Hukuru Miskiy (Old Friday Mosque) in Malé, built between 1656 and 1658 from coral stone. Blocks of porite coral were cut from the reef, dried, and carved with arabesques, geometric patterns, and Quranic calligraphy. Inside, lacquered wood panels and intricately carved doors continue the visual language established on the exterior. The mosque is one of the oldest surviving coral stone structures in the world and a UNESCO Tentative World Heritage Site.

The story of Islam in the Maldives is inseparable from the story of its art. Coral stone carving became the defining art form of the sultanate period, used in mosques, tombstones, and ceremonial objects across the atolls. The same motifs — intertwining vines, rosettes, geometric borders — appear in woodcarving and lacquerwork, creating a unified visual vocabulary that persisted for centuries.

One still-unresolved question is how much of the pre-Islamic carving tradition survived into the sultanate period. Some scholars argue for continuity — that the same families of stone carvers adapted their techniques to Islamic non-figural conventions. Others see a sharper break, with the adoption of Islam introducing entirely new aesthetic frameworks. The truth likely lies somewhere in between, but the evidence is fragmentary.

Living Traditions: Lacquerwork, Mat Weaving, and Dhoni Craft

Three crafts have survived from the sultanate period into the present day, each with its own regional center, lineage of practitioners, and relationship to the tourist economy.

Liyelaa Jehun (lacquerwork) involves coating wooden objects with multiple layers of colored resin — traditionally red, black, yellow, and green — then carving patterns to reveal contrasting layers beneath. The island of Thulhaadhoo in Baa Atoll remains the primary center for this craft, producing decorative boxes, bowls, and furniture. Historically made for the sultanate court and as diplomatic gifts, lacquerwork is now produced primarily for the tourist market, which has both sustained the craft and shifted its aesthetic priorities toward smaller, more portable objects.

The art of lacquer work in Maldivian culture is a direct link to the sultanate period. The hand-powered lathe used to shape the wood has changed little in centuries, and the color palette remains remarkably consistent. Younger practitioners on Thulhaadhoo are experimenting with new forms and colors, but the core technique remains unchanged.

Thundu Kunaa (mat weaving) is practiced by women using dried reeds and natural dyes, creating geometric patterns on tightly woven mats. These mats serve as floor coverings, prayer mats, and sleeping mats, and they remain an important part of ceremonial life — often gifted during weddings and other special occasions. The techniques are passed through generations of women, and each mat carries the geometric signature of its weaver.

The weaving wonders of Funaa explores this tradition in depth. The mats are tightly woven and durable, and their geometric patterns often carry specific meanings tied to the weaver’s island and family lineage.

Dhoni boat building represents a different kind of craft — functional, but requiring exceptional skill in woodworking and design. The dhoni remains essential for fishing and transport across the atolls, and the boats are still built by hand using techniques passed down through generations. The visual appeal of a well-built dhoni — its curved hull, the grain of the wood, the precision of its joinery — is a reminder that craft and art are not always separate categories in Maldivian culture.

The Contemporary Turn: New Media, Climate Art, and the Gallery Scene

In the past two decades, a new generation of Maldivian artists has begun working in painting, sculpture, photography, and digital media — and they are asking different questions than their predecessors.

Climate change dominates the contemporary scene. For a nation where sea-level rise threatens physical survival, it is an unavoidable subject. Artists like Aminath Shafeeq and Ahmed Nihad (both named in exhibition records from the National Art Gallery) use photography, mixed media, and installation to address environmental vulnerability, the fragility of island life, and the tension between tourism-driven development and cultural preservation. Street art in Malé uses bold colors and local symbols to address these same themes, alongside youth culture and national identity.

The National Art Gallery in Malé provides a platform for rotating exhibitions, and a small but growing gallery scene supports painters, sculptors, and mixed-media artists. The Oaga Art Resort has begun offering artist residencies, which provide income and exposure but also raise questions about whether the tourist market is shaping artistic priorities. The relationship between tourism and the arts remains underdeveloped and contested — some artists see it as a lifeline, others as a constraint.

The contemporary scene faces real constraints. A small population means a limited audience, and institutional support beyond the National Art Gallery is thin. Many artists support themselves through resort commissions or work abroad. Still, the work being produced — in photography, sculpture, and digital media — is increasingly visible at international exhibitions, and a new generation of Maldivian artists is training abroad and bringing global perspectives home.

Traditional and Contemporary Dhivehi Art: A Comparison

The relationship between traditional and contemporary Dhivehi art is not a simple binary of old vs. new. The two coexist, overlap, and sometimes clash.

Questions Readers Ask

Is it true that pre-Islamic Maldivian art was Buddhist?

Yes. Archaeological remains on Thoddoo and Fuvahmulah include Buddhist stupas, statues, and monastery ruins dating from before 1153 CE. The extent of Buddhist influence on later Maldivian art is still being studied, and the evidence is fragmentary.

Malé’s art and architecture reflects this layered history, with Buddhist, Islamic, and colonial influences visible in the same urban space.

Can I buy authentic Thundu Kunaa mats outside the Maldives?

They are primarily sold within the Maldives, through local markets and resort gift shops. Each mat is handwoven and carries the geometric signature of its weaver. The mats are durable and tightly woven, and they remain an important part of ceremonial life, particularly as wedding dowries.

Is contemporary Maldivian art accessible to tourists?

Yes, but the scene is small. The National Art Gallery in Malé hosts rotating exhibitions, and some resorts offer studio visits and workshops. The gallery scene remains limited compared to regional hubs like Colombo or Mumbai. The Oaga Art Resort has artist residencies that sometimes open to guests.

What’s the difference between Liyelaa Jehun and regular lacquerware?

Liyelaa Jehun uses a hand-powered lathe and multiple colored resin layers that are carved to reveal patterns — a subtractive technique, not simply painted. The traditional color palette is red, black, yellow, and green. The island of Thulhaadhoo in Baa Atoll is the primary center for this craft.

Is coral stone carving still practiced?

Not in the same way. Historic mosques preserve existing carvings, but harvesting and carving coral stone has largely ceased due to environmental regulations and the shift to modern building materials. The knowledge survives in restoration work, but the practice is no longer a living tradition in the way lacquerwork or mat weaving remains.

What Dhivehi Art Reveals About Survival and Adaptation

The evolution of Dhivehi art is not a story of steady progress or pure preservation. It is a story of adaptation under pressure — religious conversion, colonialism, tourism, climate change. Each generation of Maldivian artists has worked with what was available: coral stone, wood, lacquer, digital cameras, recycled materials. The continuity is not in the materials or the motifs but in the practice of making something meaningful from the limited resources of a small island nation. For anyone curious about how to engage with these traditions respectfully, a guide to Maldivian etiquette and cultural sensitivity offers practical context for visitors.

Sources and further reading

Callaina Maldives. “The History and Culture of the Maldives: From Ancient Times to Modern Paradise.” 🔗

Oaga Resorts. “A Deep Dive Into Maldivian Culture and Art.” 🔗

Maldives Compass. “Maldivian Art.” 🔗

Related reading on IslandHopperGuides

The Maldivian Language: A Window Into the Islands’ Past and Present — Eveyla Akuru and the linguistic roots of Dhivehi visual culture.

Celebrating Eid in the Maldives: A Fusion of Islamic Faith and Island Traditions — how Islamic practice shapes contemporary Maldivian cultural life.