The King Salman Mosque ( ar, مسجد الملك سلمان) ( dv, ސަލްމާން ރަސްގެފާނު މިސްކިތް) is the largest mosque in the

Malé Malé (, ; dv, މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 and an area of , it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern ...

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

, with a capacity of 10,000 worshippers. The construction of the mosque was funded in part by

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

and it is named after

King Salman Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, سلمان بن عبد العزیز آل سعود, , ; born 31 December 1935) is King of Saudi Arabia, reigning since 2015, and served as Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022. The 25th son of King ...

History

The mosque was planned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Maldives. The construction of the mosque began in 2018. The opening of the mosque was scheduled in 2021, but was delayed as the structure remains unfinished. The mosque opened unofficially for prayers on April 2022. The official opening is yet to be announced.

Architecture

The six-storeyed mosque building is flanked by five minarets, representing the

five pillars of Islam The Five Pillars of Islam (' ; also ' "pillars of the religion") are fundamental practices in Islam, considered to be obligatory acts of worship for all Muslims. They are summarized in the famous hadith of Gabriel. The Sunni and Shia agree on ...

. The building lacks a traditional dome. Instead, the dome-like structure is designed to resemble a

Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and A ...

desert tent.

Facilities

The mosque would also have a library, an auditorium, classrooms, and a multi-purpose hall.

References

Mosques in Malé Maldives–Saudi Arabia relations {{Maldives-struct-stub