Dharumavantha Mosque

The tomb of Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari, said to have introduced Islam to the Maldives in 1153.

Emphatically, not a tourist attraction, the sinister, windowless white bulk of the renamed National Security Service (the Maldivian secret police), topped with guard towers every few meters and strict admonitions not to photograph it, is an unmissable sight in central Malé and a reminder of the iron fist that has the country in a stranglehold.

Built in 1656 during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I, intricately carved with Arabic writings and ornamental patterns.

The sole surviving building of what was once the Sultan's palace is now the Maldivian National Museum, housing a scruffy, haphazard collection of royal regalia and old photographs, including three moon rocks and a faded Maldivian flag that went to the moon. At least there's air-con and some semblance of English explanation. There is also a collection of antiquities that showcase Maldivian history.

One of the most historic mosques in the city.

Malé's best-known architectural landmark. The complex contains the largest mosque in the Maldives, topped with a golden dome and capable of accommodating 5,000 people. Visitors are welcome inside outside prayer hours.