Male' Water and Sewerage Company Private Limited (MWSC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Centre for Cultural Heritage to carry out restoration and maintenance work at Ali Rasgefaanu Ziyaarai, the burial site of Sultan Ali IV who ruled the Maldives from 1557-1558.
The agreement for the restoration of the heritage site was signed by Minister of State for Arts, Culture and Heritage Mohamed Thoriq and by Managing Director of MWSC Hassan Shah.
MWSC stated that the scope of the project includes painting the walls, repairing the flagpole, installation of surveillance cameras and decorating the site. The agreement was signed for a period of one year. The project will be carried out with the guidance of the National Centre for Cultural Heritage.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Yumna Maumoon said the conservation and protection of local heritage sites in the Maldives is not the responsibility of a single company. She said that it is the responsibility of several parties to maintain such sites.
The National Centre for Cultural Heritage gives special priority to the government to arrange for the maintenance of sites with the assistance of companies. As such, STELCO has been handling cleaning and maintenance operations at the Old Friday Mosque and the Medhuziyaaraiy Shrine since 2019. The initiative includes maintaining the condition of the minaret at the Old Friday Mosque and cleaning the limestone wells.