Muhammad Thakurufaanu: the Maldives’ national hero

Muhammad Thakurufaanu (often written Mohamed Thakurufaanu, and known with affection as Bodu Thakurufaanu, “the great Thakurufaanu”) came from Utheemu, an island in what is now Haa Alif Atoll, near the northern tip of the country. His full title, used in official speeches today, is Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-Auzam.

He was born in the first half of the 16th century into a leading island family. Maldivian accounts say his father was the island’s chief and his mother came from nearby Ihavandhoo. He grew up in the wooden house now known as Utheemu Ganduvaru, which still stands.

Much of what Maldivians know about him was handed down through chronicles and oral tradition, and the details vary from one telling to the next. This guide sticks to what official and well-established sources agree on, and flags the parts that belong to tradition.

In the 16th century the Portuguese were building a trading and naval empire across the Indian Ocean, with its centre at Goa on India’s west coast. The Maldives sat on busy sea routes and was a source of coir rope, dried fish and cowrie shells, so it drew their attention.

In 1558 a Portuguese force took control of Malé, and the sultan of the time was killed. The President’s Office describes what followed as a 15-year occupation, ending in 1573. Most accounts say the Portuguese governed from a garrison in Malé and pressed islanders to give up Islam, which is why the story is remembered not only as a fight for independence but also as a defence of faith.

The occupation never reached far into daily life on most of the outer islands. Its weight fell on Malé, the seat of power, and on the trade that passed through it.

Thakurufaanu did not act alone. He fought alongside his brothers, Ali and Hasan, and a small band of companions from the north. Public broadcaster PSM describes it as an eight-year war waged by the brothers and their allies.

Raids by night

The best-known part of the story is how they fought. According to accounts repeated in official National Day material, the brothers landed on a different island each night, struck at the Portuguese and their supporters, and sailed back out to sea before dawn. Moving constantly made them hard to find in a country spread across hundreds of kilometres of reefs and channels.

The boat Kalhuohfummi

They sailed in a boat the brothers built themselves, called Kalhuohfummi (also spelled Kalhuoffummi). It was a sailing vessel in the long Maldivian tradition of island-built boats; see our guide to the dhoni, the traditional Maldivian boat for how that craft developed. The boat is now one of the country’s best-known symbols of courage at sea.

The government’s atoll profile for Meemu records that Kalhuohfummi was wrecked on a reef there in 1573. Tradition holds that timber from it was used in the roof of the Ghaazee Mosque on Kolhufushi, which the President’s Office says Thakurufaanu built. Our Meemu Atoll guide covers the mosque and how to visit it respectfully.

The night they took Malé

The campaign ended with an assault on Malé itself. The story most Maldivians learn is that the brothers reached the capital on the night before the Portuguese had set a day for the forced conversion of the people, and took the garrison by surprise. The Portuguese commander was killed and the garrison fell. Tradition credits Thakurufaanu with killing the hated ruler of the time, a figure remembered in Maldivian sources as Andhiri Andhirin.

Treat the finer details, such as who fired which shot, as tradition rather than recorded fact. What sources agree on is the outcome: by 1573 Portuguese rule in Malé was over.

After the victory, Thakurufaanu became sultan. He ruled for about 12 years, from 1573 until his death in 1585, and is regarded as the founder of the Utheemu dynasty. He was succeeded by his son.

His reign is remembered as a period of rebuilding after occupation: restoring Islamic practice and the authority of the throne, and putting the country’s defence on a firmer footing. Specific reforms are described differently in different sources, so we have not listed them here.

The victory is celebrated as National Day, known in Dhivehi as Qaumee Dhuvas. It falls on the first day of Rabi’ al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar, so its date moves earlier by about 11 days each year in the Western calendar. In 2026 it fell on 14 August. Our guide to Maldives festivals and public holidays lists the expected dates ahead.

What to expect:

• A public holiday. Government offices and schools close, and some shops keep shorter hours.
• Flag raising at dawn. The official ceremony is held at Republic Square in Malé, with a special prayer. A separate ceremony is held on Utheemu.
• School and community events. Students take part in parades, talks and performances, and the President usually gives a National Day address.
• Flags on every street. On local islands, national flags and bunting go up along the roads and around the harbour.

On a local island such as Dhiffushi, holidays like this are a good time to see the whole community out together. Keep your clothing modest, ask before photographing people, and expect some services to pause.

National Day is different from Independence Day on 26 July, which marks the end of British protection in 1965. For that later story, read Maldives independence: the road to 1965.

Utheemu Ganduvaru, Haa Alif

The wooden palace on Utheemu where Thakurufaanu was born and grew up is the most important place linked to him. It is built of timber on coral stone foundations, with woven walls, carved woodwork and traditional swing beds, and has been repaired many times. It is kept as a museum, with a memorial centre nearby. Islanders have looked after it for generations; in 2025 the President gave the people of Utheemu a national honour for preserving the palace.

Getting there takes planning. Most visitors fly to the north (Hanimaadhoo International Airport opened in November 2025) and continue by local boat. See our guide to the far north of the Maldives and seaplanes and domestic flights. For other heritage stops, see historical sites of the Maldives.

In Malé

In the capital, his name is carried by the large Masjid al-Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-Auzam, the Friday mosque at the Islamic Centre, whose imam leads the prayer at the National Day flag ceremony. Our Malé city guide has tips on visiting mosques respectfully, including dress and prayer times.

Kolhufushi, Meemu

The Ghaazee Mosque on Kolhufushi is linked to him by the President’s Office and by island tradition. It is a working mosque: visit outside prayer times, dress modestly and ask before going in or taking photographs.

Thakurufaanu’s story sits at the heart of how Maldivians see their country: small, scattered across the sea, but able to defend its independence and faith. You will meet his name in school lessons, street names and speeches, and the image of three brothers in a sailing boat is familiar to almost every Maldivian.

For visitors, knowing the outline of the story helps make sense of what you see on local islands: the flags on National Day, the pride in island-built boats, and the respect shown to heritage sites. For the wider sweep, from the Buddhist period to the republic, read our short history of the Maldives, and for the history of one local island, see Dhiffushi’s history and island life.