Friday Mosque reopened

The iconic Friday Mosque or Hukuru Miskiy in Male’ City, which was closed last year to carry out restoration work, has been temporarily reopened.

The mosque was reopened mass prayers during Asr prayer time this Thursday.

Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage urges the public to adhere to the instructions issued by Health Protection Agency (HPA) and other relevant agencies in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Friday Mosque was closed for restoration and renovation in September, 2019. Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage, Yumna Maumoon said at the time that the work will take approximately two years.

After the restoration work was halted due to the COVID-10 outbreak in Male’, Yumna announced in May that the mosque will be temporarily reopened for prayer until the work can be resumed.

Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage’s spokesperson told Sun in an earlier interview that the decision to reopen the mosque was being made due to the delay in restoration work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the mosque will be reopened until the situation improves and the restoration work can be resumed, after completing restoration and renovations that require immediate attention.

Friday Mosque was closed citing significant damages due to a termite infestation, making it unsafe.

Maldives and India signed an agreement to finance the restoration of the Friday Mosque during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Maldives late last year. The project is carried out under non-reimbursable financial aid by the Indian government, through Archaeological Survey of India.