Five drawings have been submitted in the design competition, for the largest mosque to be built in Maldives to date.

The tournament was conducted by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.

The ministry announced the competition in May.

The opportunity to submit drawings is open until September 24.

The Islamic Ministry told RaajjeMV that five drawings were submitted by five participants.

The authority went on to reveal that the designs will be evaluated and the winner will be announced in mid-September.

The winners will be evaluated by a specially formed panel. The panel will include representatives from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC), Architects Association, Engineers Association, Islamic Ministry, Heritage and Culture Ministry and officials from the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has offered a cash prize of MVR 700,000 for the winner of the competition. The second design will receive MVR 200,000 while the third design will receive MVR 100,000.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has allocated 230,000 acres of land from the second phase of Hulhumalé for the construction of the Islamic Centre. This is the largest mosque to be built in the country so far, Ahmed Zahir Ali said.

Announcing the competition for the design of the Islamic Centre, the minister said the mosque will accommodate 11,000 people inside and at least 10,000 outside. The mosque will be the largest multi-purpose hall in Maldives so far, he said.

The minister said the new Islamic center would be used by people of all ages. There will be a multipurpose hall, a library and sports facilities related to an Islamic Center, he said.

The Islamic Center in the second phase of the Hulhumalé will be a modern building. Therefore, the design submitted to the competition should include a prayer area, parking area, office area, multipurpose hall, seminar room, library and staff canteen, classrooms, commercial area and recreational area. The designs must be completely new, the ministry said.

Islamic Minister Dr. Ahmed Zahir Ali said the design of the Islamic Center was opened to the public to explore new and innovative ideas. The minister said he is working to increase the participation of local companies and local people in such activities.

The Islamic Center will be developed with the aid of international partners and the state budget, the minister told RaajjeMV. The construction of the center will start within this year, he said.