Friday mosque in the Maldives

In 1656 sultan Ibrahim Iskander issued a directive to create a jami (Friday Mosque) in the capital of Maldives – Male city. Its main peculiarity is that it was built without matrice, blocks of coral were perfectly fitted together with pinpoint accuracy.

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There is no need to remind that Maldives resorts are considered to be elite. Each wooden detail of the mosque like frames, doors, sloping beams is made of fine wood, such kinds of timber like mahogany, golden teak and sandalwood were widely used. The jami was built on the very place of an ancient temple, and its remains were a very good foundation for it. The entrance is faced to the rising sun, but not to North-West, to the direction of Mecca. So the parish turn to the corner of the mosque during the prayer.

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Not so far from the mosque one may find one more sight, it is called «sultan cemetery». Outstanding people of the country are buried here in refined crypts. The Friday Mosque has relatively medium sizes. It is about 60 meters in perimeter. But it is valuable because it has a lot of amazing details and decorative elements of traditional Maldives crafts.

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The walls and the ceiling of the mosque are famous for the lacquer painting on their surfaces. The red-coloured lacquer pattern lays on the black background. Not only Moslems are allowed to enter the mosque, but the rest should ask a permission and wear appropriate clothes.