About Rinbudhoo

Rinbudhoo, located at North-West of Dhaalu Atoll, is marketed as the ‘Jewelers Island’ in the British Admiralty Charts. The island is famous for its skilled jewelers and craftsmen.

The Legend

Hundreds of years ago the Sultan banished his chief jeweler to Rinbudhoo for stealing the gold that had been placed under his care. The exiled jeweler taught his skills to the islanders and they have continued to pass down this skill from father to son. Another version is that they developed their skills on gold taken from a shipwreck in the 1700s.

Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings are created according to an old process with traditional tools such as a little anvil and a kerosene lamp, the fulhi-batthi. Few families still work on the island, since many of them have gone to Malè or to other islands in order to benefit better businesses.

Mosques and Wall Art

In Rinbudhoo, there are three mosques. The oldest mosque is located a few steps from Villa Stella and it has some woodcarving decorations. From the main mosque the muezzin calls the Muslims to prayer five times a day. The women’s mosque was completed in 1995 and it is surrounded by a beautiful garden.

In recent years, some local artists have decorated the walls of Rinbudhoo's buildings with beautiful and colorful frescoes that reproduce images of Maldivian life, marine life, and goldsmiths at work.

Island Life

You might discover the handcraft of the coconut rope and of mats made with rope and coconut leaves, the rhythm of the bodu-beru drums, the smoke of the hookah, a kind of nargilè where the tobacco is mixed with coconut palm syrup.

The most popular sport of the archipelago is football that is played all year round. In most of the islands there is a football ground and every afternoon the young boys from the islands play.

Maldives Jewelers