Among Male’s many antiquities is the Hukuru Miskiiy or Friday Mosque said to be the oldest mosque in the country. Although it may not be the grandest mosque in the city it is certainly one of the most if not the most important religious buildings with links to the country’s Islamic past. Friday Mosque has stood in Male the capital of the Maldives since the mid 17th century when a Buddhist temple was re modelled to accommodate the demands of country’s Islamic faithful. Now the mosque stands in the midst of a plethora of government buildings, the former presidential residence and the tomb of the Abu al Batkaath Yusuf who introduced Islam to the Maldives. Because of its antecedents the mosque does not look anything like a traditional mosque and it does not have minarets or a prominent external dome as part of the building and has been built to face west and not northwest towards Mecca. Several features of interest that link it to the country’s historic past include door and window frames and roof timbers of precious hard woods such as red sandalwood, teak and redwood, coral block walls with delicate Arabic calligraphy and a quantity of traditional lacquer work in its interior particularly on the central dome and the ceiling. Although the ancient roofing sheets had to be replaced the gentle pitch and low eaves of the original roof has been maintained. To remedy the lack of a minaret a squat round blue and white painted minaret known as the ‘munnaaru’ was subsequently built close by. Several ancient tombstones that crowd the mosque premises are said to be of the country’s ruling families. As one of the oldest buildings in the Maldives, Hukuru Miskiiy is the best place to visit for those looking to connect with the ancient heritage of the country.
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