The project was announced when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Male in June 2019

The conservation and restoration work of the Friday Mosque (Hukuru Miskiy) in Male began in March under a grant of Maldivian Rupees 23 million released by India.

The restoration of the mosque, made up of coral, will be carried out by a team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Indian embassy in Maldives said on Wednesday.

“An Archaeological Survey of India team has arrived in Malé to undertake restoration of the Friday Mosque under a grant of MVR 23 mn. Work will begin shortly without disruption of prayers during the month of Ramadan.Deeply grateful to Minister @yumna_maumoon & @MoFAmv for support!” the Indian embassy in Maldives said in a tweet.


The embassy noted that the work is in progress and tenders for the provision of manpower, materials and wood for the project will be issued this week. Maldivian and Indian companies can participate in the tender, it said.

“The project will involve both structural conversation work and chemical preservation work. These include repairs to woodwork, beams, roofs, plaster work, drainage, signage, as well as treating woodwork and lacquer work for damage and termite infestation,” a statement issued by the Indian Embassy read.

Built in 1658, Hukuru Miskiy or Friday Mosque is one of the oldest and most ornate mosques in the city of Male in Kaafu Atoll. The mosque was added to the tentative UNESCO World Heritage cultural list in 2008 as unique examples of sea-culture architecture.

The project was undertaken by the Government of India when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Male in June 2019.

“There is no such mosque elsewhere in the world like this historical mosque made up of coral,” Modi had said.

It will take approximately two years for ASI to complete the project, the Indian embassy has said.