Coral carving can be seen in several old coral stone mosques in the Maldives. The intricate designs on these works display the deft skill of Maldivian stone carvers of the past. Some of the best coral carvings in the Maldives can be seen in the old mosques of the country such as the Hukuru Miskiy in Male’ built in 1658. These coral stone mosques are architecturally unique in that the walls are built of finely shaped interlocking coral blocks, each block decorated with intricate carvings.
Sophisticated coral carvings can also be seen in old tombs and tombstones, especially at the tombs of royalty. Some of these tombs and tombstones can be seen in the old royal cemetery at the Hukuru Miskiiy. Live Porite coral boulders were cut to stone blocks while still soft, and then air-dried before they were used for architectural and sculptural works.