The Gen Miskit[a] (Dhivehi: ގެން މިސްކިތް) is a SunniIslammosque, located in the district of Dhadimagu, in Fuvahmulah, on the Gnaviyani Atoll, in the Maldives. Built in c. 1300[1][2] and before 1378,[3] it is one of the oldest mosques in the Maldives. The mosque is made of coral stone and was built straight after the conversion to Islam.[4] The mosque is not facing towards the Qibla.[3]
Overview
The Gen Miskit is located in the district of Dhadimagu at the northern end of Fuvahmulah.[2] It's now a revered site for its historical significance to the island.[5] It's the first mosque that the residents of the island did their Friday prayer and Eid prayers.[6][7]
There are disputes whether Gemmiskiy is the oldest mosque in the Maldives and in Fuvahmulah, media reports and residents say that it is the oldest. However, in a monograph written by H.C.P. Bell, Fuvahmulah had four mosques prior to Gen Miskit.[2][6][7] It is really uncertain.
There has been some concern about the extinction of the mosque due to lack of maintenance by the Fuvahmulah City Council.[8]
Features
The mosque has a communal well, a rectangular ancient circular bath known as ‘Genmiskiy Veyo’ and a cemetery with enclosed shrines “ziyaarat” of revered religious figures.[5]
Shrine
A place constructed with sandstone and protected by bricks.[5] It is also said that the person who built the mosque, Addu's Meedhoo Abu Bakr Naib Kaleygefaanu, is buried at and Ah Naib Al-Hafiz Abubakr, potentially the first proselytizer of Islam in the island.[5][9][7]
Veu
Gemmiskiy Veu or Veyo is a rectangulat bath that is adjacent to the Southeastern wall of the mosque that has waters going down into the waters.[5] It shares similarities with the baths in monasteries in Pokna and Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka.[5]
Well
The well is crafted from sandstones and has unique stories about it.[5] It is said by the residents of the island that the water tastes really sweet and each corner of the well has a unique taste.[6]
^Mauroof, Mohamed Jameel; Ahmad, Yahaya. Coral Stone Mosques of Maldives: The Vanishing Legacy of the Indian Ocean. ORO Editions. ISBN9780986281846. [page needed]
