KALHU VAKARU MISKIIY

The Kalhu Vakaru Mosque is also called the travelling mosque. Built in 1789 from blocks of coral, this small mosque has been moved many times throughout its history. It was originally located in the center of the island, near the national stadium. In the 1970s, President Ibrahim Nasir put it up for auction. These were won by the owner of the Furana Tourist Resort, who moved it to his island hotel. When President Abdul Gayoom was elected in 1978, he brought it back to Malé. It was installed on the outskirts of the Sultan's Park. It was dismantled again in 2016 at the request of President Abdulla Yammen who wanted to redevelop the place into a mini-amusement park for Maldivians only. There were plans to send the Kalhu Vakaru Mosque to Thinadhoo Island in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll to replace the destroyed Friday Mosque. But the project remained on the drawing board. The election of a new president in 2018, Ibrahim Solih, revives the relocation of the small mosque. The numbered coral blocks are being reassembled one by one, jigsaw style, on Chaandhanee Magu, at the site of the former Maldivian telecoms headquarters. It reopened to the public in January 2019, after months of reconstruction and renovation. A new frame supports the corrugated iron roof, which extends well beyond the structure to protect the finely carved coral base. A tiny prayer room reveals a lacquered wood coffered ceiling.