Coral stone mosques in the Maldives
Coral stone mosques in the Maldives is the title of a cultural site that the island state of Maldives in the Indian Ocean has put on its list of proposals for UNESCO World Heritage . The site includes six mosques on different islands of the island state.
background
The Maldives , originally predominantly Buddhist were marked, were according to tradition in 1153 converted to Islam. They were then ruled by Muslim sultans and sultans .
Due to the location of the Maldives on atolls in the Indian Ocean , only wood and coral stone were available as durable building materials . The coral stone became the main material for large structures such as mosques. It was recovered from the seabed, cut into blocks of stone while it was still wet, and then air-dried before further use. The coral stone construction goes back to the Buddhist period of the Maldives and lasted until the introduction of stone and brick as building materials in the late 18th century.
registration
The Maldives acceded to the World Heritage Convention in 1986. In 2013 the coral stone mosques were entered on the tentative list of the Maldives . The aim is to be entered on the World Heritage List based on criteria (ii), (iii), (iv) and (vi). In order to justify the outstanding universal meaning, among other things the following is given:
The Maldives' coral stone mosques are a unique example of an outstanding form of coral stone architecture in the Indian Ocean. They have exceptional universal value as an example of a type of coral stone architecture with coral carvings and detailed paint quality that cannot be found in any other part of the world. The architecture, the building and the accompanying art are the work of human creativity. The coral stone mosques of the Maldives also show an interplay of elements of architectural form and design that originate from the maritime cultures of the Indian Ocean, attesting to a coming together of cultures through travel in the Indian Ocean in ways that no longer exist. They are an excellent example of an amalgamation of maritime cultures of the Indian Ocean that has never been witnessed before in one place, which gives weight to the idea that these cultures have intermingled on an unprecedented scale.
Mosques
The following table lists the individual mosques that are part of the cultural site.
| Surname | location | built | Remarks | image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday mosque |
Ihavandhoo Island Ihavandhippolhu Atoll Haa Alif District ( ) |
circa 1701 | The mosque complex consists of the mosque building, a short minaret, an octagonal fountain, a mausoleum and a cemetery with carved tombstones made of coral stone. The prayer hall of the mosque building is surrounded on three sides by a veranda and stands on a coral stone platform. The original mosque is surrounded by a modern mosque and cannot be seen from the outside. | |
| Friday mosque |
Meedhoo Island North Maalhosmadulu Atoll Raa District ( ) |
circa 1705 | The mosque complex consists of the mosque building, a water well and a border wall. The prayer hall of the mosque building is surrounded on three sides by a veranda. The beams, pillars and doors are decorated with lacquer work. Except for the thatched roof, which was replaced by a tile roof in the 20th century, and the replaced windows, the mosque is in a fairly original state of construction. Outside the border wall is a cemetery with carved coral stone tombstones. | |
| Old Friday Mosque |
Malé Island North Malé Atoll Capital District Malé ( ) |
1658 | The mosque building is the largest and one of the most beautiful coral stone buildings in the world. It is a successor to the first mosque in the Maldives, which was built in 1153 by Mohamed Bin Abdullah, the first Muslim sultan of the Maldives. Surrounded by a border wall, the mosque complex includes a mosque building, large minaret, coral stone fountain, sundial and a cemetery with mausoleums and tombs of kings and dignitaries of the country. The mosque building has two prayer halls and is surrounded on three sides by a veranda. It is built on a decorated coral stone platform. |
 |
| Eid mosque |
Malé Island North Malé Atoll Capital District Malé ( geographic coordinates ) |
1815 | The Eid Mosque is the youngest of the coral stone mosques in the Maldives. It replaced an older mosque from the early 17th century. The well-preserved mosque building with carved coral stone walls stands on a coral stone platform and is surrounded on three sides by a veranda. There are modern extensions on three sides. The roof is two-story and has a modern metal roof covering. | |
| Friday mosque |
Fenfushi Island Ari Atoll Alif Dhaal District ( ) |
1692-1701 | The mosque complex includes a mosque building, a coral stone pool, a coral stone fountain, a sundial, a large cemetery with valuable tombstones and a coral wall with two entrances. The preserved mosque building is built on a coral stone platform. The roof is two-story and has a modern metal roof covering. | |
| Old mosque |
Isdhoo Island Laamu Atoll Laamu District ( Geocoordinates ) |
1701 | The old mosque temporarily served as a repository for the Loamaafaanu , the oldest surviving chronicle of the Maldives written on copper plates. The mosque complex includes a mosque building, an old well and a graveyard with tombstones. The well-preserved mosque building stands on a coral stone platform decorated with decorative strips and is surrounded on three sides by a veranda. The roof is two-story and has a modern metal roof covering. |
 |
Web links
- Coral Stone Mosques of Maldives on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website for tentative lists.
- Daniel Bosley: Heritage department to hold coral mosque exhibition . In: Minivan News Archive, April 17, 2014
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Coral Stone Mosques of Maldives. In: whc.unesco.org. UNESCO World Heritage Center, accessed November 15, 2017 .
- ^ Tentative list of the Maldives. In: whc.unesco.org. UNESCO World Heritage Center, accessed November 15, 2017 .
Map with all coordinates: