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Introduction
Meedhoo, one
of the important islands in the Republic of Maldives, is an
island in a group of islands making the southern most atoll of
Addu
which is one of the rarest
naturally protected atolls in the Maldivian archipelago.
Throughout its known history, Meedhoo has been the centre of
learning and the birth place of renowned intellectual
personalities.
Islamic renaissance heralded in this island
at the return of a renowned indigenous scholar, Jamaluddeen,
from long residence in Yemen to take responsibility for Islamic
law and learning. After training judges in Malé, he retreated to
the ancient island of Vaadhoo in Huvadhu atoll and established a
small but enduring tradition of education in Islamic law which
spread across the Equatorial channel into Meedhoo on Addu atoll.
And Meedhoo has been responsible for passing this tradition of
education into the present generation.
The Island…
Situated on the
beautiful peninsulic north-eastern tip of Addu Atoll where
tremendous importance now stands. A place of time-honoured
memories, with the adjoining island of Hulhudhoo, even today
stands isolated in their individual glory.
The
Geography…
It can be
described as an island village where the surrounding sea is a
rhapsody in blue, hugging one of the largest beaches in the
Maldives. From the sky, it looks neat with thick vegetations and
long straight roads, and the silvery stream of Kulhi.
It
is located 73.23°E
of longitude, and 0.58°S of
latitude, stretching approximately
10 km long along the eastern rim of the atoll.
The
Climate…
Warm,
humid and yet made pleasant enough by the cool breeze wafting in
from the sea. The climate, similar to the rest of the islands in
the Maldives, is determined by two monsoons. The rainy
South-West monsoon begins during April and continues until
October, while the generally fine North-East monsoon prevails
from December to March. The mean daily maximum temperature is 30°C
while the daily minimum is 25°C.
The
people…
It is believed
that the first settlers in this island were Aryan immigrants who
came here around from 1000 BC to 500 BC. Today, the people of
Meedhoo are a mixed race.
The 2000 census puts the population at 2300
out of which about 51% are women
and 49%.
Places of
Interest…
Koagannu
Koagannu is the oldest cemetery
in the country
where important personages have been entombed.
Tomb Stones in this cemetery shows the creativity and the
craftsmanship of the early inhabitants of this island.
Veyraandu
It’s a historical
site which has folk-lore connections of Pre-Islamic era. During
the Second World War the British forces built bunkers and used
this area as a staging post, and the ruins of which still
exists.
Kulhi
Located in the
middle of the island is a lake-like muddy area comprising of
many small fresh water ponds with species of fresh water fishes.
Meedhoo
Beyra (Dive Name)
It is located
northeast point of Meedhoo, and is a great place to see grey
reef sharks and white tip reef sharks. On the outer part of the
reef – the top is at 5 – 10m dropping down to a wide sandy
plateau at 30m where you can see sharks resting in the sand.
Thanks for
visiting Addu Meedhoo World Wide Web Site. Here you will find
everything you want to know about Addu Meedhoo. Whether it is
Culture, History, Genealogy, Or Images.
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