Great Mosque in Hyderabad is one of the grandest masjid in the city. It is popularly known as the great masjid of the Golkonda tombs.
This beautiful masjid is next to the tomb of Hayat Bakshi Beguminside inside the Qutub Shahi Tomb Complex. It was built in 1666 A.D. by Hayat Bakshi Begum's son, the 7th Sultan Abdullah.
The architecture has a distinctive style that blends Persian, Pashtun and Hindu forms. The Prayer Hall is 76 feet wide and has three bays which are 51 feet deep. The front has a five arched facade.
Fifteen cupolas decorate the roof and the prayer-hall is flanked by two lofty minarets. The inscriptions in the masjid are in calligraphic art.
Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad is a heart shaped artificial lake. The lake was designed by Hussain Shah Wali and hence the name.
It is a heritage site of India and it is declared as the 'Heart of the World' by UNWTO on 27 September 2012, on the occasion of World Tourism Day, for being the World's Largest Heart Shaped Mark.
In 1563 it was built by Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah during his rule over the place. It is spread across an area of 5.7 square kilometers with maximum depth of 32 feet it is fed by River Musi. It was the main source of water supply to the city before Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar were built on river Musi.
A large monolithic statue of the Gautama Buddha stands on Gibraltar Rock in the middle of the lake.
This lake is also popular for water sports. Other attractions around are Lumbini Park, Birla Mandir. On the adjacent Tank Bund road there are 34 well-sculptured bronze statues, mounted on high platforms.
The Charminar in Hyderabad, is a historic monument as well as mosque that is visited by tourista all over the world. The ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah built this magnificent structure in 1591.
It is part of old city and was constructed at the intersection of the historical trade route that connects the markets of Golkonda with the port city of Machilipatnam.
It is built using Indo-Islamic architecture style, incorporating Persian architectural elements. It is constructed using limestone, mortar and marble. It is a square structure with each side having 66 feet wide grand arches in the four directions. There are 149 winding steps inside each of the minaret to reach the upper floor.
The minarets at each corner are exquisitely shaped with three storeyes rise to a height 0f 56 meters. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal-like designs at the base.
The mosque is located at the western end of the open roof; remaining part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times. The interiors of the dome is beautifully carved.
The clock on the four cardinal directions was added in 1889. At the base of Charminar there was originally a water cistern at the center with a small fountain. The every inch of the structure is beautifully carved.
Close to the famous Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad is Ibrahim Bagh that has many historic monuments. Qutub Shahi Tombs and mosques built by the various kings of the Qutb Shahi dynasty are located inside this garden.
The tombs form a large cluster and stand on a raised platform. There are seven tombs of varying sizes. Smaller tombs have single storey while the bigger tombs have two storeys. The tombs were built using Persian, Pathan and Hindu architectural styles.
These tombs were built around 14th century and in the 19th century they were renovated by Sir Salar Jung III. In the centre of each tomb is a sarcophagus which overlies the actual burial vault in a crypt below.
The various structures of interest are:
- Tomb of Sultan Quli Qutb Shah
- Tomb of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah
- Tomb of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah
- Tomb of Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah
- Tomb of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah
- Tomb of Abdullah Qutb Shah
- Tomb of Hayath Bakshi Begum
- Tomb of Fatima Sultan
- Tomb of Mirza Nizamuddin Ahmed
- Great Masjid
Birla Mandir at Hyderabad is built atop 280 feet high hillock. The construction of this new temple built by Birla Foundation was completed in 1976. This temple is now dotting the skyline of modern Hyderabad is located towards the Southern end of Hussain Sagar Lake.
The architecture of the temple is a mix of Dravidian, Rajasthani and Utkala architectures. About 2000 tons of pure white marble has been used to built this temple. The temple has a granite idol of Lord Venkateswara. There is a brass flagstaff in the temple premises which rises to a height of 42 ft.
Apart from the main shrine, the consorts of Lord Venkateswara, Padmavati and Andal are housed in separate shrines.
Hyderabad located on hilly terrain around artificial lakes, the capital of Telangana. This city was founded in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, and later it changed hands from the Qutb Shahi dynasty to Mughals. Later Mughal viceroy Asif Jah I created his own dynasty, known as the Nizams of Hyderabad. Historically it was known as a pearl and diamond trading centre, and even today it is known as the 'City of Pearls'.
Today the city has historical side which forms the the Old City of Hyderabad one can immerse one self into the grand history of the city showcased by its impressive old structures. Other side of the city is much younger Hi-Tech City, or 'Cyberabad' comprising of malls, multiplexes, clubs, pubs and sleek restaurants.
The places of interest here are:
- Charminar
- Mecca Masjid
- Golconda Fort
- Qutb Shahi Tombs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- Taramati Baradari
- Birla Mandir
- Nehru Zoological Park
- Hussainsagar Lake
- Buddha Statue of Hyderabad
- Chowmahalla Palace
- State Assembly
- Ramoji Film City
- Hyderabad Botanical Gardens
- Paigah Tombs
- Sudha Cars Museum
- Toli Masjid
- Salarjung Museum
- Telangana State Archaeology Museum
A glimpse of sites of India in black and white.
