page_title: Mariam Al-Batool Mosque
section_title: Exterior
hierarchical_section_title: Mariam Al-Batool Mosque / Architecture and customs / Exterior
caption_attribution_description: English: Mariam Al-Batool Mosque at Triq Kordin in Paola, Malta
context_page_description: Mariam Al-Batool Mosque is a mosque located in Paola, Malta. The first stone of the mosque was laid by Muammar Gaddafi in 1978 and its doors were open to the public in 1982, and officiated in 1984. The initial scope of the building was to serve the Muslims in Malta, at the time mainly economic migrants from Libya, and to promote conversions to Sunni Islam among the Maltese society.
  Even though there are a number of other Muslim places of worship in Malta, the Mariam Al-Batool Mosque is the only officially recognized and mosque-designed structure in the country, so it is colloquially referred to in Maltese as simply il-Moskea. The building of others have been proposed.
context_section_description: On the façade a plaque refers to the building simply as 'Moskea' that is a word in use in Maltese when referring to a Mosque. The shell structure of the Al-Batool Mosque is made of limestone while the arabic architecture is made of both limestone and wood. The mosque has one dome painted in green (Gaddafi is well associated with this color) and one minaret that is a landmark in its own right by being visible from wide parts of the surroundings, and for this reason it is often used to explain directions.
  The minaret has been recently restored, of which during restoration the flag of Libya was put to waive on it as a symbol of the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi, during the Libyan civil war. After the restoration the green color surface of the minaret was changed from dark green to light green could be observed, with the pink color being completely removed; while the mosque has had no recent restoration keeping the traditional colors since the inauguration by Gaddafi.
  The mosque and the minaret are distinguished from the rest of Maltese architecture by adopting arabic masonry such as the building of the dome, the windows, an octagonal minaret, and the aesthetic use of eye-catching light colors from the exterior.
caption: The minaret is a landmark in Paola. The whitewashing contrasts with the traditional colors of the mosque, after its refurbishment.[10]
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