By: Aminath Saany Naseer
Male’ Hukuru Miskiiy is one of the oldest and most valuable heritage sites in the Maldives. It is translated into English as ‘Friday Mosque’. ‘Friday’ in its name signifies that Friday as an important day of the week where Maldivian males congregate at mosques for the ‘Friday prayer’. This mosque can be dated back to the 16th century and is a popular tourist attraction in the capital of Maldives, Male’.
The Friday Mosque was built by a Maldivian monarch who reigned five hundred years ago and restored by Sultan Shihabudeen in 1338 A.D. In 1656 A.D, a second restoration of the mosque took place. During the reconstruction, the old foundation of the mosque was removed and replaced by a more spacious foundation using coral stone as the main building material. When the mosque was initially built, it had thatched roofs (woven coconut leaves), which was the common mode of roofing found in the Maldives at that time. However the thatched roofs were replaced with corrugated iron by Sultan Shamsuddin III. Long after this, in 1964 those roofs were replaced with aluminium sheets, the most common type of roofing material used today. During the course of the most recent restoration, the structure of the roof was also changed to teak, for conservational purposes.
This historical monument has been constructed with local materials. Coral, which was one of the most important building materials in those days, was used for the construction of pillars, walls, flooring and also for some interior and exterior decorations. The roof structure, window frames, and doors are made from wood. The main types of wood found in the structure of the mosque areKaani (cordial), Haivakaru (teak), Nirolhu (coconut timber), Kela (sandalwood),Kanahadhun (redwood), and Raiy Baburu Kela (red sandalwood). The mosque is a true replica of artistry by Maldivian craftsmen.
The Male’ Friday Mosque shows an abundance of marvellous coral carvings and expert lacquer-work. The inscriptions carved on the walls and pillars are in Arabic and Dhivehi. Dhivehi written on the walls of the mosque were from the old Maldivian script, Dhives Akuru. The Arabic inscriptions spell out verses and quotations of the Quran, and Dhivehi inscriptions often stated the duties of the various posts in the mosque. The perfect designs carved on the exterior walls portray an amalgamation of Buddhist and Islamic architecture.
On the western side of the mosque is the oldest shrine of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandhar. It was built during his reign right before his death. There are several other shrines inside the graveyard which is of royalty. These shrines and tombstones were erected in the memory of the past sultans, heroes and nobles, the most recent one being the tomb of the second Maldivian President, his Excellency Ibrahim Nasir.
Moreover, the minaret (‘Munnaaru’ in Dhivehi) which can be seen at the southwest of the Hukuru Miskiiy was also constructed during the time of Sultan Iskandhar. Its construction was ordered by his highness after his return from a pilgrimage in Mecca. The minaret was completed in 1647 A.D. and is still used to call for prayers.
Additionally, the previously constructed sundial was replaced with a new one after it was worn away. This was used to calculate daily prayer times through the motion of the sun in the early times. The mosque has two wells which are still used for ablution purposes. One well is on the eastern side of the mosque and the other is on the northern side of the mosque. Worshippers gather near the well for ablution purposes during prayer calls every day.
The Friday Mosque today is facing problems of maintenance, pollution, lack of funding, etc. The mosque is being maintained by foreign labourers who may have less concern to preserve the place than locals may. The pollution because of a busy track just in front of the mosque has put a bad effect on the coral stone. The corals have altered from its original colour because of the high smoke emissions from vehicles. This can be seen in the graveyard west to the mosque where some tombstones have been completely destroyed.
National Heritage is protected under the 1979 Law on Sites and Property of Antique, Archaeological and Historical Value in the Maldives. Since, Male’ Friday mosque is one of the most precious heritage sites in the Maldives it has to be well conserved for it to remain for the future generation. However, the government faces difficulty due to lack of expertise and financial constraints.
National conservators and archaeologists are scarce, as well as qualified heritage management staff. However, there are some programmes conducted by the Department of Heritage and other independent organisations to create awareness among the public about the importance of heritage conservation which is progressing only at snail’s pace.
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