The breathtaking Maldives Islands with their splendid natural attractions and delightful climate offer many pleasures for the visitor. You will also find charming Maldives hotels such as Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas which offers idyllic island accommodation and lets you experience the very best this tropical paradise has to offer. In addition to the islands’ spotless beaches and water activities visitors will also find numerous attractive sightseeing options here. Prominent amongst these are the picturesque mosques to be seen here, many of which have been formed of local coral stone.
The Maldives do not possess many indigenous materials suitable for the construction of large buildings. The only available materials for these purposes were wood and coral stone, of which the latter became the material of choice for large buildings.
The Friday Mosque located on Meedhoo island is a typical example of a coral stone mosque. This splendid place of worship is no less than three centuries old and functions as a place of prayer even today. It features a high standard of workmanship and exquisite calligraphy within its interior.
Another well-known mosque of this type is the Friday Mosque on Ihavandhoo island. It too remains in use for religious purposes and boasts engraved wooden doorways, exquisite carvings, decorations and lacquered calligraphy. As is customarily seen in buildings of this kind the structure rests on a platform of coral stone, with walls of the same material.
On the other hand the Eid Mosque in the capital Male is approximately 200 years old and was constructed to replace an earlier mosque which still stands in the same location. This attractive coral stone structure features splendid carvings, engraved doors and a tranquil ambience.
Not to be missed is Male’s magnificent Friday Mosque, which has been acclaimed as the foremost heritage location in the nation. This grand building has the distinction of being one of the largest and handsomest coral stone constructions on the globe. This highly esteemed edifice has been greatly acclaimed for its intricate workmanship and skilful woodwork. The coral stone mosques of the Maldives Islands are undoubtedly one of the island nation’s proudest aspects.
Uditha Dharmawardhane is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Roland Lefevre. He specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.
