It’s been almost eight years that I have been staying in
Hyderabad now. As I scrolled down the pages of my blog posts I realized that I
haven’t written about any of the monuments of Hyderabad. So here is something
about Qutb Shahi tombs. The pictures were taken long back and at a time when I
was not as passionate about photography as I am now. I do not have very
specific pictures for their respective information so it is very random.
Beautiful evening light illuminating the tomb...
Qutb Shahi Tombs complex lies just about 2kms from the Golconda
Fort. If someone is planning a visit to the famous Golconda fort, s/he cannot
miss witnessing this sprawling tombs complex.
The imperial legacy of the Qutb Shahis can be traced back to
the Bahamani kingdom. During the period of Bahamani kingdom (which
disintegrated at the end of 15th century), there emerged five
independent kingdoms in the Deccan (between the north of the river Godavari and
river Krishna). These Deccan Sultanates were of Ahmednagar, Berar, Bijapur,
Bidar and Golconda (later Hyderabad).
The Qutb Shahi dynasty was founded by Sultan Quli- Qutb-ul-
Mulk, a migrant from Turkistan, in 1518. Later in 1543, Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah
murdered the first Sultan and ascended the throne. After Jamsheed’s death his
brother Ibrahim took over the kingdom. He fortified the Golconda fort and
developed the very famous Hussain Sagar lake.
A mosque inside the tombs complex...
Muhammad Quli, third son of Ibrahim, succeeded him. But,
during his time the population of Golconda grew enormously which resulted in
water scarcity. There was also an outbreak of cholera at the same time. To
tackle the situation Muhammad ordered for a new city to be built beyond Purana
Pul (bridge over river Musi, the only bridge that survived the Great Musi flood
in 1908). Thus emerged Hyderabad!
Reflection!
History also has its story that Muhammad was in love with a
Hindu girl called Bhagmati who lived across the river. His father decided to
build the bridge to help his son to cross the river safely. So it is also
called as ‘Pyar- ana- pul’.
Some black and white retreat for the eyes...
The tombs of the Qutb Shahis are a mausoleum complex which
comprises the tombs (thirty tombs) of the Royal family and the officials who
faithfully served them. The complex consists of mortuary bath and mosques.
Archways...
The tombs found in the complex are built in Persian, Pathan
and Hindu architectural styles using grey granite, with stucco ornamentation. This
is one of its kinds in the world where an entire dynasty (Family) has been
buried at one place.
