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Hyderabad is the sixth largest city in India out of twenty-eight states [1] and the capital of the Telangana state in the Indian Deccan plateau, with the Musi River flowing through the city. [2] Its current population in 2024 is estimated to be 11,068,877 with the majority speaking the Telugu and Urdu languages. [3] Ten dynasties, both Hindu and Muslim, ruled over Hyderabad until the formation of the Republic of India in 1948.
The name of the city comes from Haydar, referring to the fourth caliph 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, and "abad", a Persian suffix meaning inhabited. [2] It was also sometimes called Bagnagar or Garden City, referencing the vast gardens and garden palaces in the city which could be categorized into eleven clusters of gardens around the outskirts. [4] This makes Hyderabad a boiling pot for both Hindu and Muslim heritage with a variety of architectural projects ranging from mosques and tombs to palaces and gateways.
Before the establishment of the Qutb Shahi dynasty in Hyderabad, the Hindu dynasty of Chalukya ruled over the Deccan Plateau until the Kakatiya dynasty took over in the 11th century. [3] Several other dynasties ruled over the Deccan until the Bahmani Sultanate came into power in 1347 after it defeated the Tughluq dynasty and maintained its power base until the early 16th century. [5] The sultanate was subsequently divded into five Kingdoms: Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Berar, Golconda (present-day Hyderabad), and Bidar. [6] Later, under the rule of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Hyderabad was founded by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 and its layout is said to be similar to earlier Deccani cities like Warangal the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty. [6] Golconda came into the possession of the Mughal Empire in 1687 by Emperor ‘Alamgir - commonly known as Aurangazeb. [6] Finally, the last dynasty to rule over Hyderabad was the Asaf Jahi dynasty, in power from the early 18th century until the formation of the Republic of India in 1948. [7]
Based on a survey by Omar Khalidi published by the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, Hyderabad contains at least twenty-one historical mosques:
Located southwest of Charminar, the Mecca Masjid was commissioned by Muhammad Qutb Shah in 1617 and completed by Aurangazeb in 1693, as indicated in the foundation inscription on the front gate of the mosque. [4] The facade is decorated with five pointed arch entrances with domed buttresses on either side. The mosque's prayer hall is 68 m. x 54 m., is made up of fifteen bays supported by arched pillars. The hall has a dimension of 67 m. x 54 m. x 23 m. [8] The mosque is covered by fifteen domes, one of which lays above the mihrab. The central bay has two domes and a vaulted roof between them. Several sultans are buried in the mosque, including Nizam Ali Khan and Mahbub Ali Khan. [1] The reason behind naming it the Mecca Masjid is because some of the bricks in the mosque were made out of sand collected from Mecca. [4]
Located north of the Charminar, it was also built by Muhammad Qutb Shah in 1597 - as indicated by the Persian inscription on the gate [9] - with a double hall and a paved courtyard. Inscriptions inside the mosque are both naskh and thuluth and in both Arabic and Persian. [2] [4] It was the first congregational mosque in Hyderabad. [2]
It was built under the reign of Abdullah Qutb Shah in 1671 by one of his high-ranking officers. The mosque sits on a high plinth and is accessible through three different flights of stairs on each side except the western side; it has two corner minarets and is divided into two halls, the outer hall has five arched openings while the inner hall has three.
Some of Hyderabad's most prominent city walls are: Purana Pul Darwaza, Dabirpura Darwaza (1724–1740), Delhi Darwaza, Afzal Darwaza (1861), and Chaderghat Darwaza (1920s). The total number of walls to the city is twelve. [2]
11 km to the west of Hyderabad, this is a fortified citadel that included defensive structures, mortuary baths, silos, mosques, gardens, residential quarters, pavilions and royal courts. [10] It was the sultan's seat during the Qutb Shah dynasty, although the actual structure was built before it. The original building had eight gates, four of which are still in use – Fateh, Banjara, Mecca and Jamali gates. [2]
Standing in the center of the city, at the intersection of its four quarters, the Charminar was built to inaugurate the new city of Hyderabad. The square structure, 60 m. a side, [4] is made out of both plaster and stone [2] and is decorated with stucco ornament, arches, stone grills, and rosettes. [10] Its name translates as four towers, signaling the monument's four three-story octagonal based minarets crowned with bulbous domes, and also contain staircases. Each tower stands at 48.77 m. tall. [11] It contains a gateway, a madarsa, a water reservoir, and a mosque. [2] [6] However, the building is significant for two main reasons, one of which is its symbolic meaning of the victory of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, and secondly the year of its construction marks the beginning of the second Islamic millennium. [10]
The monument has two upper levels and a central domed chamber with a solar lotus roundel in the apex of the dome; [12] the first level is a mezzanine arcade and the second level contains the mosque located on the western side. The mezzanine is made up of seven arches and a continuous line of sixteen arches allowing for circular movement above the central dome. [12] Its western-style clock was added in 1889. [2] The minarets are adorned with double-arcaded balconies, being a unique feature of Qutb Shahi Architecture. [4]
Meaning “four bows or arches,” it is an open square north of Charminar with four unique high arches. [2] According to sources, each arch has a significant nickname: [4]
Of the important tombs in this necropolis is the tomb of Mir Muhammad Mumin Astarabadi who was minister of the state under the reign of Muhammad Quli and urban planner of the city of Hyderabad. [4] The necropolis includes a bath, a well, an arched gateway with rooms on either side, and a Ashur Khana.
His tomb (as shown in the picture on the right) is a rectangular structure decorated with niches and arches on the facade and four turrets.
This complex consists of 20 tombs of sultans, queens, children, and nobles of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty seven. [10] It includes seven royal tombs, a mosque, a mortuary bath, a step well, and a museum that was added by the State Archaeology Department. [13] All the mausolea follow the same architectural scheme: square structures with bulbous domes with Hindu inspired lotus petal designs on their drums, recessed arches on all four facades and corner turrets. [14] They are also raised on a plinth made out of local granite. [13]
The tombs of the Qutb Shahis are a combination of local and foreign techniques and styles. For example, the style of the Bahmani Dynasty tomb (as well as Persian) architecture like the Ashtur Bhamani Tombs in Bidar is evident in the Qutb Shahi tombs in terms of their shape as tombs structures topped with hemispherical domes with three recessed arches on the four sides. [14] The incorporation of turrets is most likely a Timurid influence. . This, in addition to local uses of the lotus petal motif in domes as well as the arched parapets, has resulted in a unique Qutb Shahi style of tomb architecture. [6]
Ashurkhanas reflect Shi'i traditions in Hyderabad, whereas their purpose is a place of congregation for mourning during the month of Muharram in memory of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain. The most famous and the first structure built in Hyderabad is the Badshahi Ashurkhana. [2]
The royal house of mourning, House of the tenth of Muharram, or Badshahi Ashurkhana, is located north of the Charminar and was completed in 1595 by the Qutb Shahis. It was started by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, and many additions and refinements were made to the building until the region of Abdullah Qutb Shah. The building is relatively plain on the outside and is flat-roofed. The main hall of the Badshahi Ashurkhana is decorated with tile mosaic, [6] containing both Arabic and Persian inscriptions. [2] A few inscriptions were later added under the Nizams when they renovated the building.
According to UNESCO, Charminar and Golconda Fort have been declared monuments of National importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958. [15] Both monuments, along with the Qutb Shahi tombs, present universal value in being the longest standing testaments of Qutb Shahi dynasty architecture.
The Deccan sultanates is a historiographical term referring to five late medieval to early modern Indian kingdoms on the Deccan Plateau between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range that were created from the disintegration of the Bahmani Sultanate and ruled by Muslim dynasties: namely Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, and Golconda. The five sultanates owed their existence to the declaration of independence of Ahmadnagar in 1490, followed by Bijapur and Berar in the same year. Golconda became independent in 1518, and Bidar in 1528.
The Charminar is a monument located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Constructed in 1591, the landmark is a symbol of Hyderabad and officially incorporated in the emblem of Telangana. The Charminar's long history includes the existence of a mosque on its top floor for more than 425 years. While both historically and religiously significant, it is also known for its popular and busy local markets surrounding the structure, and has become one of the most frequented tourist attractions in Hyderabad. Charminar is also a site of numerous festival celebrations, such as Eid-ul-adha and Eid al-Fitr, as it is adjacent to the city's main mosque, the Makkah Masjid.
The Sultanate of Golconda was an early modern kingdom in southern India, ruled by the Persianate Shia Islamic Qutb Shahi dynasty of Turkoman origin. After the collapse of the Bahmani Sultanate, the Qutb Shahi dynasty was established in 1512 by Quli Qutb Shah, as one of the five Deccan sultanates.
Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah was the fifth sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golkonda and founded the city of Hyderabad, in South-central India and built its architectural centerpiece, the Charminar. He was an able administrator and his reign is considered one of the high points of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. He ascended to the throne in 1580 at the age of 15 and ruled for 31 years.
Golconda is a fortified citadel and ruined city located in the western outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparudra in the 11th century out of mud walls. It was ceded to the Bahmani Kings from Musunuri Nayakas during the reign of the Bahmani Sultan Mohammed Shah I, during the first Bahmani-Vijayanagar War. Following the death of Sultan Mahmood Shah, the Sultanate disintegrated and Sultan Quli, who had been appointed as the Governor of Hyderabad by the Bahmani Kings, fortified city and made it the capital of the Golconda Sultanate. Because of the vicinity of diamond mines, especially Kollur Mine, Golconda flourished as a trade centre of large diamonds known as Golconda Diamonds. Golconda fort is currently abandoned and in ruins. The complex was put by UNESCO on its "tentative list" to become a World Heritage Site in 2014, with others in the region, under the name Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate.
Makkah Masjid or Mecca Masjid, is a congregational mosque in Hyderabad, India. It is the largest mosque in the city, and one of the largest mosques in the country, with a capacity of 10,000 people. The mosque was built during the 17th century, and is a state-protected monument. It serves as the primary mosque for the Old City of Hyderabad, and is located close to the historic landmarks of Charminar, Chowmahalla Palace and Laad Bazaar.
Indo-Islamic architecture is the architecture of the Indian subcontinent produced by and for Islamic patrons and purposes. Despite an initial Arab presence in Sindh, the development of Indo-Islamic architecture began in earnest with the establishment of Delhi as the capital of the Ghurid dynasty in 1193. Succeeding the Ghurids was the Delhi Sultanate, a series of Central Asian dynasties that consolidated much of North, East, and Central India, and later by the Mughal Empire during the early 16th century. Both of these dynasties introduced Islamic architecture and art styles from West Asia into the Indian subcontinent.
The Qutub Shahi Tombs are located in the Ibrahim Bagh, close to the famous Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, India. They contain the tombs and mosques built by the various kings of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. The galleries of the smaller tombs are of a single storey while the larger ones are two-storied. In the centre of each tomb is a sarcophagus which overlies the actual burial vault in a crypt below. The domes were originally overlaid with blue and green tiles, of which only a few pieces now remain.
The Old City of Hyderabad is a walled city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India, located on the banks of the Musi River built by Qutb Shahi sultan Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 AD. There used to be a wall surrounding the Old City, most of which is destroyed. Mubariz Khan, the Mughal governor of Deccan Subah, had fortified the city in 1712 and was completed by Nizam of Hyderabad.
Persian Inscriptions on Indian Monuments is a book written in Persian by Dr Ali Asghar Hekmat E Shirazi and published in 1956 and 1958 and 2013. New edition contains the Persian texts of more than 200 epigraphical inscriptions found on historical monuments in India, many of which are currently listed as national heritage sites or registered as UNESCO world heritage, published in Persian; an English edition is also being printed.
The history of Telangana, located on the high Deccan Plateau, includes its being ruled by the Satavahana Dynasty, the Kakatiya Dynasty (1083–1323), the Musunuri Nayaks (1326–1356), the Delhi Sultanate, the Bahmani Sultanate (1347–1512), Golconda Sultanate (1512–1687) and Asaf Jahi dynasty (1724–1950).
The Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation is a state government agency which promotes tourism in Telangana, a state in the Southern region of India. The retired Director General of Police Pervaram Ramulu is the appointed First chairman of Telangana State Tourism. Tourist attractions in Telangana include historical places, monuments, forts, water falls, forests and temples.
Deccani architecture, particularly the architecture of the Bahmani and Deccan Sultanates, is the architecture of the Deccan Plateau, and is a regional variant of Indo-Islamic architecture. It was influenced by the styles of the Delhi Sultanate and later Mughal architecture, but sometimes also influenced from Persia and Central Asia. Hindu temple architecture in the same areas had very different styles.
The architecture of Telangana dates back over two thousand years. The Indian state of Telangana is in the Deccan plateau, bordering the coastal plain of Andhra Pradesh. It has produced regional variants of wider styles of Indian architecture, both in Hindu temple architecture and Indo-Islamic architecture.
A distinct Indo-Islamic architecture style with local contribution is reflected in the historical buildings of Hyderabad, making it the first and "Best Heritage City of India" as of March 2012. The city houses many famous historical sites constructed during Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi period, including various mosques and palaces.
Qutb Shahi architecture is the distinct style of Indo-Islamic architecture developed during the reign of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, also known as the Golconda Sultanate.
Jama Masjid is a 505 year old Mosque in Golconda, Hyderabad, India. It was constructed in 1518 by the first Qutb Shahi ruler Sultan Quli Qutb Shah - while he was governor of the Bahmani Sultanate in current Telangana.
Hayat Bakshi Begum was the royal consort of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah, the sixth ruler of the Qutb Shai Dynasty in south India and daughter of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, fifth Sultan of the dynasty. When her son Abdullah Qutb Shah was made sultan at the age of fourteen in 1626, she acted as regent for the first few years of his reign, and continued to wield considerable influence in the state until her death.