Dictionary of islamic architecture

See also:
Indonesia, Java, Singapore
Further reading:
G.Haidar, ‘On the crest of the hill: The International
Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization, Kuala
Lumpur’, 
Arts and the Islamic World
21: 14–18, 1992.
A.Lamb, ‘Miscellaneous papers on early Hindu-Buddhist
settlement in northern Malaya and southern Thailand’,
Federation Museums Journal
NS 6 : 1961.
Wan Hussein Azmi, ‘Islam di Malaysia-Kedatangan dan
Perkembangan (Abad 7–20 m)’, 
Tamadun Islam di
Malaysia,
Kuala Lumpur 1980.
O.bm. Yatim, ‘Islamic arts in Malaysia’, 
Arts and the
Islamic World
1(2): 1993.
Zainal Abidin Wahid (ed.), 
Glimpses of Malaysian History,
Kuala Lumpur 1980.
S.S.Zubir, ‘Identity and architecture in Malaysia’, 
Arts and
the Islamic World
5(1): 74–6, 1988.
Maldives
A group of over 2,000 islands off the south-west coast of
Sri Lanka which now forms an independent republic with
its capital at Male.
Maldives

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The inhabitants of the Maldives have been Muslim
since 1153 when they were converted by a Berber
known as Abu al-Barakat. The language of the islands
is Dihevi which is related to Sinhalese although it is
written in a script based on Arabic numerals.
The houses are made out of coral stone and
coconut wood; the stone is used to build a platform
and the wood is used for the superstructure. As
experienced boat builders the Maldivians were able
to build wooden houses without nails and make very
tight joints. Ibn Battuta visited the islands twice in
1343 and 1346 and gave an account of the
construction of houses. The house was built around
a hall which opened on to the reception room, known
as the malem, where the owner of the house would
receive his male friends. At the back of the malem
was another door which opened on to the rest of the
house forbidden to guests.
There are many mosques on the islands; at present
Male has thirty-three including the main mosque
known as the Hukuru Meskit (Great Mosque). The
standard mosque plan which seems to have remained
the same since the seventeenth century consists of a
stone building raised on a rectangular platform with
an entrance at the east end and a rectangular recess at
the west end. Near the entrance is a well set within a
paved area with a path leading to the mosque entrance
to keep feet clean after washing. Many of the mosques
are built of stone although some are built out of wood
like the houses. Each mosque is surrounded by a
graveyard on three sides with tombstones made of
finely dressed coral blocks (rounded stones represent
women and pointed stones represent men). In general
Maldivian mosques do not have mihrabs although
they are oriented towards Mecca and have a square
recess at the qibla end. Minarets are also unusual
although the Hukuru Meskit has a thick cylindrical
tower which functions as a minaret.