President Dr Mohamed Muizzu visited the historic Ghaazee Mosque in M. Kolhufushi, as part of his tour of the atoll. During the visit, the President inspected the condition of the mosque and inquired about its preservation.
The mosque was built by al-Sultan al-Ghaazee Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-A’uzam (Bodu Thakurufaanu), the national hero who led the resistance against Portuguese rule centuries ago.
This Wednesday marks 899 years since the Maldives embraced Islam, an occasion observed annually on the 2nd of Rabi ul-Akhir.
The Ghaazee Mosque holds immense cultural and historical significance, having been constructed by Bodu Thakurufaanu following his liberation of the Maldives from Portuguese forces and restoring Islamic faith in the nation. Timber from Kalhuohfummi, his famed vessel, was incorporated into the mosque’s traditional wooden roof framework after he grounded the vessel safely on the shores of Dhihthun’di, when it began taking in water en route to Malé from Huvadhu Atoll.
The mosque sustained structural damage during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, revealing traces of remnants from a vessel. The Ghaazee Mosque also once safeguarded Bodu Thakurufaanu’s sword, which was kept there after he liberated the Maldives. Although the sword is no longer housed in the mosque, historian H. C. P. Bell documented its dimensions and produced an illustration in his monograph.