President Abdulla Yameen has on Monday inaugurated the ‘Rasrani Bageecha', built in the plot where the Sultan Park once stood.
The Rasrani Bageecha has been modelled according to traditional Maldivian architecture and functions as an entertainment and heritage site.
The Housing Ministry said that the it would hold a rose garden, a ‘winter corner’ where locals can experience artificial snow and partake in ice-skating, and a tunnel walkway lain with trees.
“The Rasrani Bageecha will be one of the most culturally significant landmarks in the country” President Yameen said at the inauguration.
He referred to the fact that this particular piece of land was once used as a leisure site by sultans almost ‘800 years ago’ and spoke of the importance of celebrating Maldivian history.
President Yameen said that his government intends the garden to be utilized by children, in order for them to experience ‘a healthy and knowledgeable source of leisure activity’.
The site was initially planned to be opened by Independence Day 2016, the 26th of July this year. However, this was delayed as renovating work was yet ongoing.
Monday night’s inauguration ceremony was interrupted by unexpected rain, which flooded the bolt of cloth used to provide shelter at the stage where the president had been speaking.
