Government's plan to develop the grounds around Friday Mosque -- one of the oldest and most ornate mosques in the capital Male, could cost it a place on the World Heritage List.
The oldest mosque in the country, dating from 1656, 'Hukuru Miskiy' boasts a beautiful structure made from coral stone into which intricate decoration and Quran script have been chiseled and was added to the tentative UNESCO World Heritage cultural list in 2008.
Housing Ministry is seeking interested parties to landscape the Friday Mosque grounds. Though details were not specified in the announcement, the ministry had stated the winning party must landscape and maintain the 114 block according to the concept planned by the government.
Despite the government's insistence that the mosque would be preserved, many are voicing concerns that the mosque along with its grounds remain a historical and cultural treasure.
Former heritage department head Yumna Maumoon said under UNESCO guidelines, the grounds around the mosque must be protected in order for the mosque to make the permanent heritage list.
As expected, top opposition officials have been quick to the government's blatant attempt to "destroy the country's culture and heritage." Opposition Jumhoory Party (JP) lawmaker Ali Hussain have called for protests to prevent the government from "meddling" with the historical site.
The historical Friday Mosque was first built in 1656 during the Sultanate of Ibrahim Iskandharu while the minaret of the mosque finished its construction in 1675 under his rule. Until the Islamic Center was opened in 1984, Friday Mosque was regarded as the biggest mosque in Maldives.
