Usgekolhu Preserved as Heritage Site Under Solih Administration
The agreement granted to a private company by President Yameen’s administration to operate a cafe at Usgekolhu was terminated during President Solih’s term to preserve the site as a historical landmark. Following claims by Minister Heena Waleed that the previous government failed to protect this heritage, a former senior official from the ministry confirmed that the contract was indeed rescinded with compensation to save the building. Although the current administration has announced plans to convert the site into a museum, no practical work has commenced to date.
"Usgekolhu," a historic structure built during the early 20th century under the reign of Sultan Haji Imaduddin VI. | Raajje MV
It has been revealed that the preservation of Usgekolhu was secured during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works Adam Shareef Umar has stated in Parliament that the previous administration failed to undertake significant efforts to preserve the nation's heritage.
Speaking on Sunday's "Fashaairu" program regarding the matter, Mohamed Nazim—the former Senior Executive Director at the Ministry of Heritage who was in charge of Male's historical sites—stated that the previous administration had undertaken extensive efforts to preserve the nation's archaeological and cultural heritage.
Referring to Usgekolhu, he stated that the building was preserved by President Solih’s administration. He noted that when the President took office, the site had already been leased to a private party to be developed into a tea shop. However, the government reclaimed the property after paying compensation, as they did not want to lose such a significant historical landmark.
When we assumed office, Usgekolhu had been leased to a company called Blue Bay to be developed and operated as a teahouse. It was leased specifically for that purpose. However, we immediately intervened to stop the project and ensure it did not proceed at the site. Following this, we coordinated with the government to provide the necessary compensation to the company and successfully reclaimed the property. Although President Yameen had leased the premises for a teahouse, we were the ones who stepped in to save it.Mohamed Nazim, who served as the Senior Executive Director at the Ministry of Heritage during the previous administration and was in charge of Male's historical sites.
In 2016, during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen, the site was handed over to the NGO Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) to establish a "Children's Heritage Plaza." At the time, the current President, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, served as the Minister of Housing. However, the project with ARC failed to materialize, and by the end of the Yameen administration, the Usgekolhu building had been leased to a private restaurant company. The building was leased to the company for the purpose of operating a café alongside a digital library. This arrangement was made as compensation for the company after they were ordered to vacate the land previously occupied by Bluebay Restaurant at Artificial Beach.
However, Usgekolhu is a surviving section of the "Boduganduvaru" (The Grand Palace), which served as the residence for the royal family during the final years of the Maldivian monarchy. When the Grand Palace was dismantled during the administration of Ibrahim Nasir, the first president of the second republic, Usgekolhu was the only portion left intact.
Consequently, many have called for the preservation of this historic residence. Following his assumption of office, President Solih nullified the existing agreement. In March 2024, the current administration announced plans to transform "Usgekolhu" into an interactive museum. However, no practical work on the project has been undertaken to date.
