Meedhoo (Seenu Atoll)
Encyclopedia
Meedhoo is the oldest populated island in Addu Atoll
in the Republic of Maldives
, having been settled between 1000 and 500 BCE
. Its current population is 2511. Its name comes from the original Indo-Aryan
settlers; Meedhoo means Big Island in Sanskrit
.
The original settlers were divehi people of ariyan origin. Arab traveller by the name of Yoosuf Naib planted the seed of Islam
and built a place to worship Allah
in the 12th century.In this island where the first mosque was built in the country to worship Allah
, has ever since known as a centre of learning and Islamic religious education.
Meedhoo is one of the largest islands in the Maldives
. It is famous for the scholars it has produced. Since the sixteenth century eight natives of Meedhoo have served as Fandiyaaru, or Qazi, at Malé
. To this day, Meedhoo Ulamma and other noted ecclesiastics hold their own with those of the capital.
Addu Atoll
Addu City is a city in Maldives consisting of the inhabited islands of the southernmost atoll of the archipelago....
in the Republic of Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, having been settled between 1000 and 500 BCE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
. Its current population is 2511. Its name comes from the original Indo-Aryan
Indo-Aryans
Indo-Aryan is an ethno-linguistic term referring to the wide collection of peoples united as native speakers of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Iranian family of Indo-European languages...
settlers; Meedhoo means Big Island in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
.
The original settlers were divehi people of ariyan origin. Arab traveller by the name of Yoosuf Naib planted the seed of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and built a place to worship Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
in the 12th century.In this island where the first mosque was built in the country to worship Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
, has ever since known as a centre of learning and Islamic religious education.
Meedhoo is one of the largest islands in the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
. It is famous for the scholars it has produced. Since the sixteenth century eight natives of Meedhoo have served as Fandiyaaru, or Qazi, at Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
. To this day, Meedhoo Ulamma and other noted ecclesiastics hold their own with those of the capital.