When you visit the Maldives and wander through it, you don’t feel any absolute difference between it and the Arab and Islamic countries. Its mosques and buildings with Islamic architecture and decoration, witnessed by history, attract you. It has become a destination for Arabs from the East to the West, and here the story begins:
The inhabitants of the Maldives initially practiced Buddhism and later converted to Islam with the first appearance of Islam in the Maldives around 85 AH/685 CE through Muslim preachers and traders from the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt. Some Muslims settled in the Maldives, mingling with the locals, as they integrated socially, linguistically, and intermarried due to the compassionate nature of the Maldivian people. Around 548 AH/1153 CE, the Maldives became a starting point for the spread of Islam to the Far East. The conversion to Islam in the Maldives was led by Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari. Sultan Ahmed Shihab al-Din’s inscription in the mosque (Malé) reflects this historical transformation, indicating that the Maldives became a significant center for Islamic art and architecture. The mosque served as a place of worship and expressed the essence of Islam in its construction. Over time, it evolved into a symbol of Islamic culture in the Maldives, mirroring the historical development of Islamic culture in the region.
The Maldivian people serve as a model for a united and simple Muslim community, thanks to the Islamic religion embraced by the entire population. The influence of Arab-Islamic civilization resonates in their hearts, reflecting in the arts, architecture of Maldivian mosques, Islamic universities, and even homes. Unique Islamic designs with Arabic inscriptions and Islamic motifs are visible, utilizing coral stones in construction, blending seamlessly with Islamic architecture and art.
Mosques in the Maldives were typically composed of a single room, featuring several stone columns supporting a wooden roof. Some mosques had relatively large areas compared to the mosques in Arab and Islamic countries. The use of domes and minarets became a symbolic integration of the heavens into the symbolic house of worship. The Maldivians embraced the dome, minaret, and unique craftsmanship, demonstrating their perfection, unintentionally motivated by an inclination to merge the heavens symbolically in the house of worship. The cube and the dome together represent a complete symbol of the essence of Islam.
The Islamic architectural art in the Maldives, like in all Arab and Islamic countries, was influenced by the marine environment, giving it a unique pattern in the process of art and ornamentation. Many elements of Islamic civilization, with an Islamic perspective, dominated the artistic and architectural expressions, combining Islamic vision with sufficient architectural elements that pulsate with the same spirit, reflecting an authentic and distinctive Islamic vision.
There are no public or private structures in the islands that do not carry a religious architectural character. Islam has permeated the environmental life, dominating the hearts and minds of the Maldivian people. It has shaped the characteristics that manifested in the form of houses and buildings adorned with Arabic inscriptions and verses from the Quran.
The architecture of some large mosques in the Maldives has evolved through their reconstruction or extensive restoration. One notable example is the Friday Mosque in the capital, Malé, which was rebuilt in the year 1065 AH (1656 CE) during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I. The mosque features pillars carrying inverted coral stones engraved with Quranic verses, rectangular beams with a small dome in the middle, and a coral stone minaret. It became an architectural masterpiece and was included in the UNESCO list of rare maritime architecture. Additionally, the mosque is distinguished by its magnificent design, which captivates observers, thanks to their unique approach to building Maldivian coral stones that can be dismantled and reassembled multiple times.
Kalhufaaru in the capital, where the Arabic calligraphy steals hearts and sight with its creativity, along with the spacious area covered in Islamic artistic life, expressing its passion for Islamic decorative art—a complex system of geometric shapes and adapted botanical elements according to a specific style, and Arabic calligraphy. One of the architectural mosques is Bandara Mosque in the capital. It differs in architectural style from other mosques, featuring three arched verandas on each side. The roof is supported by sides of the verandas, creating a tapered balcony instead of stone foundations. The Islamic emblem, a crescent and a star, is positioned at the top.
Islamic art has taken a significant place in the artistic genius of the Maldives. These architectural techniques are evident in the Mohammed Thakurufaanu Mosque in the capital, Malé. It has a unique design and is the largest mosque in the Maldives. The mosque houses an Islamic center, featuring a large golden dome, stunning minarets, and intricately decorated walls and internal columns adorned with beautiful wooden carvings, embellished with elegant Arabic calligraphy. The mihrab (prayer niche) represents an authentic Islamic architectural masterpiece, giving the feeling of being in the Mosque of Cordoba.
The mosque includes the Islamic Center, a three-story structure with a capacity of over 20,000 worshippers. It stands out for its spaciousness and has become a landmark for tourists from the Arab world and around the globe. Mosques with Islamic architectural characteristics have proliferated in Hulhumalé Island. What distinguishes Hulhumalé Mosque from other mosques in the Maldives is its golden dome. The mosque’s minaret is crowned with a small, intricately decorated golden dome from the inside, adorned with Arabic calligraphy.
And finally, the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Mosque is an architectural and artistic story that deserves a separate discussion. It is a magnificent artistic, civilizational, and architectural masterpiece, a towering Islamic beacon in the heart of the Maldives. With its four minarets, unique dome, and splendid design, when this mosque embraces the waves of the blue ocean, it appears as if it were a painting crafted by a genius artist with his brush.
