Located in the heart of Male, the capital of Maldives and near the Presidential Palace, Hukuru Miskiiy is a national treasure that is definitely worth a visit if you are a traveler in Maldives. Hukuru Miskiiy is a mosque built in 1656 during the time of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandhar I. Hukuru Miskiiy is also known as the Friday Mosque because of its significance to the chief day in which all Muslim males go to the mosque at noon to offer religious prayers as well as the Imam of the mosque provides a religious sermon coupled with advice for the worshippers. In the olden days, this mosque was the main location in which the congregation gathered.
Hukuru Miskiiy is also a splendid work of art encompassing lacquer work with great detail, especially visible in the dome of the mosque, coupled with elaborate carvings in wood. In addition, the design of the mosque contains work with coral stones, whilst the walls of the mosque both inside and outside contain Arabic inscriptions and other decorative writings. Also various types of wood such as teak and red sandalwood for example were used to create significant wooden structures such as the door, window frames and even the roof. Furthermore the compound also holds the ancient tombs of royals, national heroes and various sultans and nobles from the times gone by. A unique feature of this mosque is its minaret which is shaped in the form of a drum, also known as the Munnaaru. Another aspect of interest is a long wooden panel carved in the 13th century which denotes the introduction of Islam to the Maldivian nation.
Travelers looking to visit Hukuru Miskiiy should obtain permission in advance from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. However, visitors may be able to obtain this permission on the spot as many ministry officials are also staff members at the mosque. In addition visitors are advised to dress appropriately. Travelers can find accommodation in a
Maldives Luxury Resortsuch as the Velassaru Maldives. One of its specialty types of accommodation is the
Beach Villas Maldives where guests are sure to be enthralled with beautiful views of the blue Indian Ocean along with hotels world-class amenities.
