Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient royal dynasties ruled and where the palace was located. The city was then called ''Mahal''. Formerly it was a walled city surrounded by fortifications and gates (''doroshi''). The Royal Palace (''Gan'duvaru'') was destroyed along with the picturesque forts (''koshi'') and bastions (''buruzu'') when the city was remodelled under President Ibrahim Nasir's rule in the aftermath of the abolition of the monarchy in 1968. However, the Malé Friday Mosque remains. In recent years, the island has been considerably expanded through land-filling operations. Over the years, Malé has been the center of political protests and milestone events.