Qutb Shahi architecture

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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.

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Qutb Shahi buildings are seen in the city of Hyderabad and its surroundings. The Golconda Fort, which predates the founding of the city is the earliest example. The style reached its zenith during the reign of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, who founded the city of Hyderabad and constructed the Charminar as its centerpiece.

The style is similar to that of the Bahmani Sultanate and other Deccan Sultanates, whose monuments can be seen in Gulbarga, Bijapur, and Bidar. It is heavily influenced by Persian architecture.

Several buildings in the style were 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 (despite there being a number of different sultanates). [1]

Features

The Qutb Shahi buildings consist of:

Mosques

Golconda, tombe qutb shahi, moschea grande 02.jpg
Mosque at the Qutb Shahi tombs
The Qutb Shahi mosque would have five arched entranceways. The facade would be flanked with two galleried minarets. Elaborate stucco work would be used to embellish the facade

The Qutb Shahis were a Shia dynasty. The number five represented the Panjatan. [2] The Qutb Shahi mosques would have five arched entrances on the facade.

The mosques would be set within caravanserais or shops nearby would be endowed to the mosque in order to ensure funding.

History

Golconda Fort

Golconda Fort Golconda Fort 008.jpg
Golconda Fort
Qutb Shahi tombs Tomb of Sultan Quli Qutb Shah 03.jpg
Qutb Shahi tombs
Taramati Baradari Taramati-Baradari.jpg
Taramati Baradari

The Golconda Fort is the earliest example of the style.

Later architecture

Qutb Shahi tombs

The Qutb Shahi tombs are the necropolis of the Qutb Shahi rulers, set in a vast garden on the outskirts of the Golconda Fort. [3] [4] The tombs share a common features: an onion dome atop a cube surrounded by an arcade with rich ornamental details, with small minarets featuring floral motifs. [5]

Charminar

The Charminar is one of the most recognizable examples of Qutb Shahi architecture. [6] It was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 as a centerpiece for the newly built capital city of Hyderabad. The Charminar is a large building, square in plan, having an arch in each of its faces and a lofty decagonal minaret at each of its angles. To the south of the Charminar is the Mecca Masjid, which is one of the largest mosques of India. [7]

To the north of the Charminar is the Gulzar Houz fountain, which is surrounded by four arches called the Char Kaman. [8] The arches are simple and do not have many embellishments. There used to be other Qutb Shahi palaces, as well as a rose garden in the vicinity, but they were probably destroyed during the Siege of Golconda.

Other monuments

Another early structure was the Purana Pul, built in 1578 [9] across the Musi River. [10] The Tomb of Abdul Qadir Amin Khan at Patancheru is also from this period.

The Qutb Shahi rulers built elaborate caravanserais, or resthouses, including the Shaikpet Sarai and Taramati Baradari. The former had had 30 rooms, stables for horses and camels, a mosque and a tomb of an unknown sufi saint.

Other mosques built during this time include the Khairtabad Mosque, [11] Hayat Bakshi Mosque, Musheerabad Masjid, [12] and Kulsum Begum Mosque.

The Qutb Shahi rulers also made considerable additions to the Gandikota Fort.

Revival

Later structures built by the Asaf Jahi rulers, such as the Afzal Gunj Masjid, were built in a revival Qutb Shahi style. [2]

Related Research Articles

The Deccan sultanates were five late-medieval 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 sultanates had become independent during the break-up of the Bahmani Sultanate. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charminar</span> Monument in India

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qutb Shahi dynasty</span> Rulers of Golconda Fort

The Qutb Shahi dynasty was a Persianate Shia Islamic dynasty of Turkoman origin that ruled the Sultanate of Golkonda in southern India. After the collapse of the Bahmani Sultanate, the Qutb Shahi dynasty was established in 1512 AD by Sultan-Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk, better known though less correctly referred to in English as "Quli Qutb Shah".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah</span> 6th Sultan of Golconda

Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah was the sixth ruler of the kingdom of Golconda in southern India under the Qutb Shahi dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golconda</span> 11th-century citadel in Telangana, India

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Makkah Masjid, Hyderabad</span> Mosque in India

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qutb Shahi tombs</span> Necropolis in Hyderabad

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toli Masjid</span> Mosque in Hyderabad, India

Toli Masjid, also known as Damri Masjid, is a mosque in Hyderabad, in the Indian state of Telangana. It was constructed during the Qutb Shahi period and completed in 1671.

Hyderabad was the capital of the Indian states of Telangana. It is a historic city noted for its many monuments, temples, mosques and bazaars. A multitude of influences has shaped the character of the city in the last 400 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Telangana</span>

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of the Bahmani and Deccan Sultanates</span> Islamic architecture of the Deccan Plateau, India

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musheerabad Mosque</span> Mosque Build in 1611

The Musheerabad MasjidOr MASJID E KALAN, is a mosque located in the Musheerabad locality of Hyderabad, India. The original portion was constructed in 1560 AD by Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, the fourth Sultan of the Qutb Shahi dynasty and is identical to the Hayat Bakshi Mosque located in Hayathnagar area of Hyderabad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Telangana</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Hyderabad</span>

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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomb of Abdul Qadir Amin Khan</span> Historic site in Hyderabad, India

The Tomb of Abdul Qadir Amin Khan is a tomb located in Patancheru, Hyderabad. It was completed in 1568.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jama Masjid, Hyderabad</span> Mosque in Hyderabad

The Jama Masjid is a mosque in Hyderabad.

References

  1. UNESCO "tentative list"
  2. 1 2 Jayyusi, Salma K.; Holod, Renata; Petruccioli, Attilio; Raymond, Andre (2008). The City in the Islamic World, Volume 94/1 & 94/2. BRILL. pp. 611–613. ISBN   978-90-04-16240-2.
  3. Nanisetti, Serish (2018-09-11). "Restoring the charm of Qutb Shahi tombs". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2019-11-12.
  4. Haig 1907, p. 59.
  5. Khalidi 2009, p. 70.
  6. Haig 1907, p. 210.
  7. Nanisetti, Serish (2019-03-03). "Archaeology dept. puts its all into restoring Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  8. Nanisetti, Serish (2017-12-09). "After years of neglect, Charkaman set to regain glory". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2019-11-12.
  9. Bilgrami 1927, p. 10-12.
  10. Khalidi 2009, p. 17.
  11. Nanisetti, Serish (2018-10-11). "Archaeology Dept. turns its focus on Khairatabad Masjid". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2019-11-12.
  12. Khalidi 2009, p. 52.

Bibliography