The Mishkal Mosque (), also spelled Mithqal Mosque is a Šāfiʿī

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

located in

Calicut Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...

Malabar Coast The Malabar Coast () is the southwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. It generally refers to the West Coast of India, western coastline of India stretching from Konkan to Kanyakumari. Geographically, it comprises one of the wettest regio ...

, in the state of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

, India. The mosque, one of the few surviving medieval mosques in Kerala, is regarded as an important cultural, historical and architectural monument of Kerala.

Overview

The mosque was built in the 14th century by the eponymous Muslim merchant-shipowner (nakhuda). Mishkal, active in Calicut in the 1340s, possessed "great wealth" and a fleet of ships for "the trade with India, China, Yemen, and Persia". Ship-owners known as the nakhudas were among the wealthiest merchants of medieval Indian Ocean world. Mishkal Mosque is located in Kuttichira neighbourhood, a part of Thekkepuram beach in Calicut; and was built in the Kerala-Islamic traditional ''

Vastu shastra Originating in ancient India, ''Vastu Shastra'' (, ' – literally "science of architecture") is a traditional Hindu system of architecture based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, ...

'' architectural style. In January 1510,the mosque was partially burned in a Portuguese attack on Calicut by

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

which also occupied the Zamorin's palace. The attack was later repulsed by the Zamorin's

Nair The Nair (, ) also known as Nayar, are a group of Indian Hindu castes, described by anthropologist Kathleen Gough as "not a unitary group but a named category of castes". The Nair include several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom hi ...

troops with 300 to 500 Portuguese killed and the remaining barely even surviving. The top floors of the mosque display some of the damage. The shattered mosque was later renovated and refurbished under Zamorin's supervision. He used to offer land and grant permission for the Muslims to construct worship places or mosques wherever intended. The Muchundi Mosque in Kuttichira till date holds inscriptions on stone that show his financial contribution towards its construction in the thirteenth century. The Mishkal Mosque originally had five stories. It was rebuilt in 1578/79 after the 1510 arson and now has four stories. Typical for Kerala-Islamic buildings, the mosque has extensive woodwork, and does not have a dome or

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

s. A large tank, known as the Kuttichira tank, is adjacent to the mosque. The mosque has 47 doors, 24 carved pillars and a big prayer hall that can accommodate approximately 400 worshippers. The prayer hall is well ventilated and there is a wooden member with intricate motifs.

Gallery

Mishkal-mosque-Calicut.jpg, The mosque in 2010, during repairs BKB5895.jpg, A side view of the mosque Mithqalpalli Mosque - Kozhikode - Kerala - India 01.JPG, Building detail in 2008

References

External links

* 14th-century mosques in India Buildings and structures in Kozhikode Mappilas Mosques in Kerala Religious buildings and structures in Kozhikode district Sunni mosques in India Shafi'i 16th-century mosques in India Mosques completed in the 1570s Religious buildings and structures completed in 1578 {{Kozhikode-geo-stub

Overview

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References

External links