Effort to make Ihavandhoo Coral Stone Mosque a part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Permanent List Continues – Minister Thoriq

On early Thursday, Minister of State for Arts, Culture and heritage, Mohamed Thoriq stated that their effort to inscribe Ihavandhoo Friday Mosque in United Nations Education and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) register of World Heritage Permanent List will continue without waver.

Ihavandhoo’s Friday Mosque (Coral stone or ‘Hirigalu’ Miskiyy) is currently in the World Heritage Tentative list and the ministry is leaving no stones unturned to make sure the mosque makes it to the permanent list. Minister Thoriq, in his tweet mentioned that they will strive to reach this milestone before the end of this administration.

Maldives has made constant effort to enter the permanent list of UNESCO’s World Heritage since 2008.

Ha.Ihavandhoo Friday Mosque is one of the Coral Stone Mosques currently on UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. We will ensure that we inscribe these unique mosques on the @UNESCO World Heritage Permanent List soon.
Photo: @HeritageMv pic.twitter.com/4GrPdjS2x1

— Mohamed Thoriq (@ManadhooThoriq) August 5, 2020

The Friday Mosque in the island of Ihavandhoo was built in 16 December 1701 CE (15 Rajab 1113 A. H.) during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim Muzhiruddin (1701- 1705 CE) and continues its use as a mosque till today.

A large part of the mosque complex is held by its cemetery. It has a number of very old coral stone tombstones and a mausoleum. The tombstones with carvings with rare patterns and Arabic dates are in good condition but the roof of the mausoleum does not exist anymore. The cemetery consists of the tombstones of eminent people such as members from the Utheem Boduthakurufaanu (the Maldivian hero who defeated the Portuguese rule in Maldives) family and Wazirs of Dhiyamigili Dynasty. The expert carpenter who carried out the work for this mosque is also buried in the mosque ground to the eastern side just close to the mosque.

In addition to Ihavandhoo’s Coral Stone Friday Mosque, a few other mosques made it into the World Heritage Tentative List in 2013. The complete list is as follows:

• Ihavandhoo Friday Mosque
• Meedhoo Friday Mosque
• Malé Friday Mosque
• Malé Eid Mosque
• Fenfushi Friday Mosque
• Isdhoo Old Mosque

The coral stone mosque of Ihavandhoo is over 300 years old. Mohamed Thakurufaanu, the Maldivian hero who defeated the Portuguese rule in Maldives, and his brother Hassan Thakurufaan was born in HA. Ihavandhoo as it is their mother’s home island.

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