This writer’s plan to explore the bustling streets of Malé, the capital of the Maldives, was briefly put on hold when his eyes fell on a striking mosque in the city centre.
Built from blocks of coral stone, lines of Arabic calligraphy adorn the walls of the ancient Old Friday Mosque, known locally as Hukuru Miskiiy.
The Maldives is widely known as a global tourism hotspot that remains largely untouched by over-commercialisation, with its main attractions being the crystal-clear seas and fine, powdery white-sand beaches.
Yet, behind the rows of luxury resorts catering to international travellers, the true uniqueness of the Maldives lies in its 100 percent Muslim population. This is because its constitution stipulates that citizenship is strictly granted only to those who profess the Islamic faith.
HISTORY ETCHED IN CORAL STONE
Hukuru Miskiiy stands as a mirror reflecting the daily routine of Malé’s Muslim community, especially when the call to prayer echoes.
Located near government administrative buildings and commercial premises, the mosque becomes a hub for civil servants and locals, who gather to pray in congregation during Dhuhr (noon) and Asr (afternoon) prayers.
“This mosque can accommodate over 100 worshippers at any given time,” its imam Muhammad Haneef, 55, told Bernama in an interview here. (The writer was on this resort island in mid-September to cover the official visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the Maldives.)
Muhammad explained that while Hukuru Miskiiy is one of the oldest mosques in the Maldives, two other mosques had occupied the same site earlier.
The original mosque was erected by Sultan Muhammad ibn Abdullah in the 12th century, shortly after the Maldives embraced Islam in 1153. It was later rebuilt by Sultan Ahmed Shihabuddin in 1338.
The structure of Hukuru Miskiiy seen today was built in 1657 by Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I after he realised the existing mosque could no longer accommodate the growing number of worshippers.
Faced with a scarcity of other natural resources and an abundance of Porites genus coral stone in the reefs surrounding the Maldives archipelago, builders of the era leveraged their expertise to use coral blocks as the primary construction material.
Beyond its resilience against the harsh saltwater environment – allowing the structure to endure to this day – the use of coral stone blocks lends the mosque a high aesthetic value.
Yet, what makes this structure truly awe-inspiring is not just its age or beauty but its construction method. Built entirely by hand without modern machinery, the coral stones were precisely cut using an interlocking technique, much like the arrangement of Lego blocks.
Due to the rough, porous texture of the coral surface, these blocks grip each other firmly when tightly assembled, enabling the mosque structure to stand resiliently for centuries.
Chiselled onto the walls of the mosque are intricate carvings of alternating geometric motifs, interwoven patterns, floral elements, Arabic calligraphy and ancient Dhives Akuru script (an ancient writing system of the Maldives) – they remain visible till today, though some have faded over time.
Collectively, these features make the mosque one of the largest and most finely crafted coral stone buildings in the world.
ART OF WOODWORKING
Stepping into the mosque, one’s gaze is immediately drawn to the upper part, dominated by timber elements and a multi-tiered roof structure.
Sandalwood was among the main materials used in the mosque’s construction, including its doors and windows. The timber structure as a whole reflects the exceptional craftsmanship of local artisans, evident in its intricate carvings and lacquer work.
The ingenuity of the craftsmen of that era is also evident in the sliding doors and windows, which operate without wheels and remain in good working order despite being nearly 400 years old.
As on the exterior, the mosque’s interior walls and timber structures, including the doors and door frames and prayer area, are also adorned with Arabic calligraphy and verses from the al-Quran.
Meanwhile, the call to the Zuhur prayer presented an opportunity for the writer to join the local congregation, while also revealing another distinctive feature of the historic mosque. As the building is not aligned with the direction of the qibla, worshippers form their prayer rows at an angle of about 30 degrees, guided by a line indicating the direction of the qibla in the prayer area.
It is believed that the site where the mosque now stands originally housed a Buddhist temple, as the Maldives practised Buddhism before the arrival of Islam.
PROMINENT LANDMARK
Unlike many modern mosques around the world, known for their imposing minarets and domes, Hukuru Miskiiy features a distinctive tower known as the Munnaaru.
Built in 1675, the approximately 11-metre-high coral stone structure was once among the most prominent landmarks in Malé, when the city had yet to be filled with high-rise buildings.
It is said that, in those days, the entire island of Malé could be seen from one end to the other from the top of the tower. Today, such a view is not possible as the capital is dotted with multistorey buildings.
The mosque grounds also house a cemetery containing the tombs of former Maldivian rulers and members of the royal family, including Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I, and four centuries-old wells.
The Maldives’ Islamic journey began long before Hukuru Miskiiy was built. The country embraced Islam in 548 Hijrah, corresponding to 1153 AD, marking a turning point that would go on to shape the life, culture and governance of the island nation.
More than nine centuries later, Islam remains firmly rooted in the country, with a new generation of religious leaders emerging. This year also holds special significance as the Maldives commemorates 900 years since its conversion to Islam, with celebrations focusing, among others, on heritage preservation, education, research and youth participation.
At an official ceremony held recently to mark the milestone, the Maldives’ Minister of Islamic Affairs and Endowments Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed emphasised the nation’s close ties with the wider Muslim ummah, noting that relations with other Islamic countries had also played an important role in the republic’s efforts to preserve its Islamic identity.
In conjunction with the celebrations, the Maldives President Dr Mohamed Muizzu officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sultan Mohamed Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque and Islamic Civilisation Centre in Hulhumalé in Malé on Sept 13. The complex is planned to house, among other facilities, a mosque, an al-Quran museum, an Islamic library and exhibition spaces documenting the history of Islam in the Maldives.
Meanwhile, during the Malaysian Prime Minister’s visit to the nation on Sept 14 and 15, Anwar and Muizzu witnessed the exchange of a memorandum of understanding on Cooperation in Islamic Affairs, paving the way for Malaysia and the Maldives to broaden collaboration in areas including Islamic education, the halal industry, waqf, haj, religious administration and capacity building.
Commenting on the matter, Anwar said the Maldives was particularly interested in areas such as the halal sector, in addition to cooperation in training and matters related to waqf and haj. He added that Malaysia could share its experience in these fields.