Flags have been hoisted at Medhu Ziyaaraiy after about 30 years.

An official from Arts and Culture Ministry told 'One' on Friday the Ministry decided to bring back the practice of hoisting flags at Medhu Ziyaaraiy as a way to reinstate the culture of respect given to the sites, and to preserve the practice for the future.

The lamp lights at Medhu Ziyaaraiy have also been upgraded to electric ones.

The official stated that preserving cultural sites is important for the upcoming generations. As such, the Ministry is working on refurbishing cultural sites across the country.

Medhu Ziyaaraiy is the resting place of Abul Barakat Yoosuf Al Barbary, the man deemed responsible for the Maldives' conversion to Islam in 1153 AD. Medhu Ziyaaraiy also has the grave of the Arab monarch Sayyid who ruled over the Maldives.

In the past, Maldivians used to place offerings at Medhu Ziyaaraiy, but the government banned the practice in 1957. Although it is unclear when exactly Medhu Ziyaaraiy was built, the thatch structure was rebuilt by Abdul Majeedhee Rannabandeyri Kilegefaanu during Sultan Shamsuddin's reign.