National museum, library reopen after long closure due to virus

The national museum and national library, located in Male’ City, has been reopened after long closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Minister of State for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Mohamed Toriq told Sun the museum and library reopened on Tuesday. 

“The national library and museum were reopened today after Covid. The long closure was due to the Covid pandemic. The lighting has been improved and the display has been changed there [at the museum],” he said. 

Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry’s Communications Director Ismail Naail Nasheed told Sun that several changes have been brought to the national museum, in light of the Protection of National Heritage Act ratified by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in 2019, which came into effect in June last year. 

Naail said the changes include administrative and structural changes, and the addition of new items to the display. 

“The national museum building is 10 years old. It was previously severely neglected, resulting in damages. The ACs and lights weren’t working well. But we have fixed the electricity and AC. The lights are of better quality than before,” he said. 

Naail said that the new lighting will offer visitors the chance to better appreciate items on display, and that the authorities are working on making it an international standard lighting system. 

He also added that the library will have new books. 

The library had been reopened once before, but had to be closed again after the COVID-19 situation in the capital escalated. 

The national library, which boasts Maldives’ largest archive, is open Sunday to Thursday from 09:00 am to 03:00 pm. 

The national museum is open Sunday to Thursday from 10:00 am to 04:00 pm. 

Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry said it is working on making modern changes to the museum, noting it attracts a large number of tourists.