Maldives - mosques

The Maldives is a Muslim state. The only religious buildings in the country are mosques and slender minarets. On each inhabited island of the Maldives there is at least one mosque, there are more than 20 of them.

Features of Muslim buildings

The mosques in the Maldives are simple and modest, but at the same time graceful execution. To the "house" of Allah, the islanders are very reverent. Inside, visitors walk barefoot. Buildings are rarely empty. For the morning prayer, the believers line up in 3-4 lines. And during the Friday afternoon prayers, the rooms are full of believers so that those who are late have to stay outside. Since with prayer the islanders turn to the sacred city of Mecca, in some mosques on the ceiling or on the floor there are the appropriate pointers in the form of arrows. There is a rule: men and women should pray separately. There are even several separate mosques for women in the country.

The most famous mosques in Maldives

Among a small number of religious buildings, the following deserve special attention:

1. The Friday mosque in Male is the main sight of the city ​​and the main center of the Islamic religion. It was erected by Maldivian artisans in 1856 by order of Sultan Ibrahim Iskander I. The mosque consists of coral blocks without the use of mortar. On the plates you can see quotes from the Koran and interesting ornaments. Nearby stands a white minaret.
2. Kalu Vakaru Mosque - famous for its travels from the island to the island. In 1970, by order of the ruler of Gayum, the structure was finally returned to Male from the island of Furana. The building of the mosque, which has a cultural and historical value, now rises in the southeast of the Sultan Park .
3. The Great Mosque is located in the capital of the state and belongs to the Islamic center of Male . Its pride is a huge golden dome and a capacity of up to 5000 people. Also this mosque is interesting because it was built on the old foundation of the pagan temple and because of this is not addressed to Mecca, which is a great rarity for the Muslim shrine.
4. The Bandar Mosque is a building with architecture that is absolutely untypical for the Maldives. The balcony, the red tiled roof and the long veranda are more like a Spanish-style hacienda than a cult structure. This mosque can be seen in Male, near the presidential residence of Temuge.
5. The Daruma Varita Mosque is one of the oldest shrines in the Maldives. An unusual green building, built right after the adoption of Islam in the state, is located next to the western wall of the Muliage Palace . In the restored mosque the evidence of ancient history is only a peculiar interior and a pair of ancient sculptures.
6. The Hulhumale Mosque is the newest religious building in the Maldives in the ultramodern style. The luxurious building is built on the artificial island of Hulhumale near the airport. Externally, the mosque resembles a bowl of a stadium, a religious building reminiscent of a huge golden dome.