HYDERABAD ( QUTB SHAHI TOMBS )

QUTB SHAHI TOMBS

• Home to various Tombs dedicated to Rulers of Qutub Shahi dynasty, located at Shaikpet, near Golconda Fort. These are an example of Deccan architecture with large minarets, huge domes, delicate marble designs and multiple inner passages.

·         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.

Design

·         The tombs are domed structures built on a square base surrounded by pointed arches. The mausoleums of the Sultans of Golkonda, the founding rulers of Hyderabad are truly magnificent monuments that have stood the test of time and braved the elements.

 

Location

·         They lie about a kilometre north of the outer perimeter wall of Golkonda Fort's Banjara Darwaza amidst the Ibrahim Bagh.

The tombs

·         The tombs form a large cluster and stand on a raised platform. They display a distinctive style, a mixture of Persian, Pathan and Hindu forms. The tombs are graceful structures with intricately carved stonework and are surrounded by landscaped gardens.

·         The tombs were once furnished with carpets, chandeliers and velvet canopies on silver poles. Qurans were kept on supports and readers recited verses from the holy book at regular intervals. Golden spires were fitted over the tombs of the Sultans to distinguish their tombs from those of other members of the royal family.

·         During the Qutub Shahi period, these tombs were held in great veneration. But after their reign, the tombs were neglected, till Sir Salar Jung III ordered their restoration in the early 19th century. A pretty garden was laid out, and a compound wall was built. Once again, the tomb-garden of the Qutub Shahi family became a place of serene beauty. All, except the last, of the Qutub Shahi Sultans lie buried here.

·         Sultan Quli Qutub ul Mulk's tomb, the style of which set the example for the tombs of his descendants, is situated on an elevated terrace measuring 30 m each way. The tomb chamber proper is octagonal, with each side measuring around 10 m. The whole structure is crowned by a circular dome. There are three graves in this tomb chamber and 21 on the terrace outside, all uninscribed, except for the main tomb.