Gen Miskit

Gen Miskit is the oldest mosque in the Maldives built in c1300. It is made of coral stone and was built straight after the conversion to Islam.[1]

Gen Miskit in 1984

Gen Miskit is located in the district of Hoadhadu at the northern end of the island where historically significant sites like Fua Mulaku Havitta and the white sandy beach of Thoondu also can be located. It consists of a neat compound including a coral stone mosque, an ancient graveyard and a well.

Formerly people used to pay homage to saints buried in ziyaraiy (tombs with a roof and white flags) by visiting the place in a group. Among the group a few of the old men said prayers burning incense sticks while the remaining people, including women and children, prepared a picnic which was shared afterwards by all participants. This tradition was discontinued in the early eighties.

References

Mauroof Jameel and Yahaya Ahmad (2016). Coral Stone Mosques of Maldives: The Vanishing Legacy of the Indian Ocean, ORO Editions. ISBN 9780986281846.

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[coralstonemosques-1] Mauroof Jameel and Yahaya Ahmad (2016). Coral Stone Mosques of Maldives: The Vanishing Legacy of the Indian Ocean, ORO Editions. ISBN 9780986281846.