Prime Minister NarendraModi said Saturday that India will contribute to the conservation of Maldives’ iconic Friday Mosque, a historic landmark made up of coral stones.
Addressing the Maldivian Parliament, The People’s Majlis,Modi said the relations between India and the Maldives were older than history.He said India will contribute to the conservation of Maldives’ Friday Mosquealso known as HukuruMiskiy.
“There is no such mosque elsewhere in the world likethis historical mosque made up of coral,” Modi said. He said he was happythat the Maldives was working towards sustainable development and has become apart of the International Solar Alliance.
Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih thanked the Indianside for their offer to carry out restoration of the mosque by theArchaeological Survey of India under an Indian grant.
He also appreciated the recent visit of senior scientists ofthe Indian Council of Agricultural Research and their ongoing cooperation withthe Maldivian counterparts, a statement said.
Built in 1658, Friday Mosque is one of the oldest and mostornate mosques in the city of Male in Kaafu Atoll. The mosque was added to thetentative UNESCO World Heritage cultural list in 2008 as unique examples ofsea-culture architecture.Modi arrived in the Maldives on Saturday on hisfirst two-day foreign visit after re-election as Prime Minister to strengthenthe bilateral ties, reflecting the importance India attaches to its’Neighbourhood First’ policy.