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The Sultan's Missive ceremony Colombo
1920s
The annual Missive of the Sultan of the Maldives to the Governor
of Ceylon 1920s. Before the independence of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
that was the only diplomatic ceremony that took place in Colombo.
This colourful ceremony goes beyond British times. The first written
record of the ceremony is in Boduthakurufaanu Vaahaka by
Buraara Koi in which the ambassador of Andiri Andirin, the Regent
of the Maldives, delivered the missive to the Portuguese governor
of Kotte. In that account the ambassador was Utheem Mohamed Thakurufan.
In this photograph, the Sultan's Ambassador Athireegey Abdul Hameed
Didi (in the middle, slightly to the left), then resident in Colombo,
poses with the Maldive missive-bearer and the native militiamen
of the city of Colombo (see
note) at the entrance of the Governor's mansion.
The
Sultan's Missive ceremony Colombo 1930s
The Sultan's Ambassador Kakaagey Hussain Hilmy Didi poses outside
the Maldive mission in Colombo with the Royal Missive bearer
The
Sultan's Missive ceremony Colombo 1940s
The Sultan's Ambassador Athireegey Mohamed Amin Didi in procession
to the Governor's mansion in Colombo with the Royal Missive bearer
and the native militia of the City of Colombo (see
note)
The
British Governor of Ceylon inspecting a guard of honour in Malé
The British Governor of Ceylon on a visit to Malé in the
early 1930s inspecting a guard of honour at the jetty before proceeding
on foot for an audience with the Sultan Mohamed Shamsuddine III
Iskander at his palace, the Etherekoilu a few metres to
the south. The peacock feather fan called saamaraakolhu
is visible above the Governor's head. In addition to the Sultan,
only senior princes of the ruling dynasty and visiting British governors
were entitled to the peacock feather fan.
A
Royal militia guard of honour in Malé, pre-World War I
The Sifain regiment parades in the plaza now occupied by
the main mosque of Malé
Audience hall of Matige inside Etherekoilu
The Sultan's audience hall at the Matige building
within the Etherekoilu royal palace complex 1960s. This
was where the Sultan had his audiences with the Prime Minister and
ministers and received foreign ambassadors. The Sultan's office
and that of the Maabandeyri (chancellor) was within
this three-level building with a copper roof. The basement of the
building housed a magnificent pre-Islamic coral stone bath. The
bath, thankfully, was left intact and covered up when the rest of
the complex was demolished in 1968.
United States Ambassador
The first Ambassador of the United
States of America to the Maldives His Excellency Andrew V. Corry
presents his Letter of Credence from President Lyndon B. Johnson
to His Majesty Mohamed Farid King of the Maldives at the Etherekoilu.
1967. Behind the monarch is his Private Secretary Adnan Hussain.
The first foreign ambassador to present his letter of credence to
His Majesty was the Ambassador of the State of Israel in 1965.
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