The Grand Friday Mosque in Male, Maldives is the largest mosque in the country. It is where the Islamic center is located, which can accommodate up to 5,000 people. As such, the Grand Friday Mosque is often the location of major international events, meetings, and seminars.
Aside from its obvious significance, the Grand Friday Mosque is also the official resting place of the members of royalty as well as the national heroes of the country. Surely, it is worth a visit!
Location and How to Get There
The Grand Friday Mosque is located in Male, the capital city of Maldives. It is in the center of tourism in Male so transportation to-and-from other great attractions in the city is pretty accessible. Aside from that, Male is a very small city. You can walk through all the important sights or hire a roving taxi if you want to get around.
The Grand Friday Mosque, as with other tourist attractions in Male, are located on the north shore, a short 15-minute walk away from the airport ferry.
What to See There
The most amazing thing about the Grand Friday Mosque is its architecture. That’s aside from its actual significance to Islam faith, if you care about religion at all. The mosque shows off classic beauty from bygone times with no hint of being old. It maintains a sparkling, clean posture that will keep you in awe every time. It is intricately carved with magnificent details such as the coral engravings on the tombs of royalty members and national heroes alike.
Every visiting tourist is advised to go and see the Grand Friday Mosque for all that it’s worth. It is truly one great sight that anyone should never miss. It is unique, it is majestic, it is grand. It will make your heart skip a bit as you savor the amazing architecture that will meet your eye.
History
The Grand Friday Mosque was constructed during Sultan Ibrahim Iskandhar’s reign, in 1656.
Cost
There is no fee that you need to pay to see the “grandness” of the Grand Friday Mosque. From the Male International Airport, which is located in a neighboring island, you just have to take a ferry to get to the city. That will cost you 10 Rufiyaa or about one US dollar if you are traveling at daytime and 20 Rufiyaa or $2 if you are traveling after midnight. From the airport ferry, you can walk your way through the mosque. But there is also an option to take a roving taxi, which charges a flat rate of 20 Rufiyaa plus 5 Rufiyaa for every bag that you are carrying with you.
