HAF-UTM-1 | Kandhuvalu Miskiyy complex

This mosque was built about the same time as the Utheemu Palace. The name of the mosque is Kan’dhuvalu Miskiyy. The name was given because before the mosque was built here there used to be a “Kan’dhu vaa” (jungle of Kan’dhu tree). Before going to war, Mohamed thakurufaanu and his soldiers made two rak’ath prayer, after the prayer they made a Dua asking Allah for victory in front of the mosque gate. This is that historical mosque. On the left of the mosque is the grave of Mohamed Thakurufaanu’s father (Hussain Khatheeb Thakurufaanu) and on the right is the grave of the mosque architect. The most changed part of the mosque is roof. According to forefathers at first the roofing was made with coconut leaf thatching. After that it was change to normal steel sheets before changing to clay after that in the year 1990 the roofing was changed to the soil plated steel roofing that you see today. All the carpentry work is done without using any nails or screws. There are two stones (one female stone and one male stone) on the grave of Mohamed Thakuru faanu’s father. This is to deceive the Portuguese since they said that any one related to Mohamed Thakurufaanu even if found in the grave will be taken away. For this reason a small (male) gravestone was put on the grave and covered with soil and on top a big (female) stone was put so that when they see the stone they would think it’s a female and can’t be his father and walk back. And the carpenter was buried near the mosque on the right because it was his will to be buried in a place where he could rest under the shadow of the mosque. Unfortunately we don’t know any information about most of the other bisthaans and ziyaaraths in this mosque area. We have tried to get a name or a date from these stones. However, no such information was seen on the stone. There are three wells in this mosque complex. One of the wells (S9) is called as Finifen valhu. According to our forefathers the bathing tank was used after taking a bath in the sea (to wash off the salt??). The Maqbaraa on the north side of the mosque is the grave of Mohamed Thakurufaanu’s grandfather.

MHS Site No.: HAF-UTM-1
Interlocutor: Abdul Lateef Ibrahim (55)
Interviewer: Mohamed Shamran
Date: 03 December 2019
Atoll: Haa Alif
Island: Utheemu
Address Vaijeheyge