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48-586: The Qutub Shahi Tombs are located in the Ibrahim Bagh (garden precinct), 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

96-500: A 10 km (6.2 mi) long outer wall with 87 semicircular bastions (some still mounted with cannons ), eight gateways, and four drawbridges , with a number of royal apartments and halls, temples, mosques, magazines, stables, etc. inside. The lowest of these is the outermost enclosure entered by the "Fateh Darwaza" (Victory gate, so called after Aurangzeb ’s triumphant army marched in through this gate) studded with giant iron spikes (to prevent elephants from battering them down) near

144-430: A Qutb Shahi ruler without any inscriptions; of course, Jamsheed's son, Subhan's tomb also does not have any inscriptions. Subhan Quli Qutb Shah ruled for a short time. Subhan's tomb stands midway between the tombs of his father and grandfather. He was popularly called Chhote Malik (Small Master). Sultan Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah 's tomb, built in 1580, after his death, is slightly larger than Sultan Quli's tomb. Traces of

192-535: A crypt below. The domes were originally overlaid with blue and green tiles, of which only a few pieces now remain. 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 (despite there being a number of different sultanates). The tomb complex lies north of the outer perimeter wall of Golkonda Fort and its Banjara Darwaza (Gate of

240-593: A dome. To the west of the tombs lies the dargah of Hussain Shah Wali , the revered Sufi saint. He is most affectionately remembered by people as the builder of Hussain Sagar in 1562. Among other monuments in the garden that are not tombs, the most important are the mortuary bath and the Masjid of Hayat Bakshi Begum. The mortuary bath, which stands opposite the tomb of Muhammad Quli, was built by Sultan Quli to facilitate

288-470: A store of Naskh, Thuluth, and Nastaliq inscriptions on the many Qutb Shahi edifices in the city, were contemporaries of Ibrahim Shah. Sultan Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah 's mausoleum is considered the grandest of the Qutb Shahi tombs. Built in 1602 A.D., the tomb is on a terrace of 65m square and 4m high. A flight of steps leads to the mausoleum proper, which is 22 m square on the outside and 11 m square on

336-517: A vault where the famous Koh-i-Noor and Hope diamonds were once stored along with other diamonds. Golconda is renowned for the diamonds found on the south-east at Kollur Mine near Kollur, Guntur district , Paritala and Atkur in Krishna district and cut in the city during the Kakatiya reign . At that time , India had the only known diamond mines in the world. Golconda was the market city of

384-563: Is a fortified citadel and ruined city located on 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,

432-536: Is about 900 to 1,000 years old, dating back to early Kakatiya period . A Mahankali temple is located in the vicinity, within Golconda fort. The fort also contains the tombs of the Qutub Shahi kings . These tombs have Islamic architecture and are located about 1 km (0.62 mi) north of the outer wall of Golconda. They are encircled by gardens and numerous carved stones. The two individual pavilions on

480-542: Is an extension of Golconda fort which was turned into the Hyderabad Golf Club despite resistance from farmers who owned the land and various NGOs within the city. The ramparts of the new fort start after the residential area with many towers and the Hatiyan ka Jhad ("Elephant-sized tree")—an ancient baobab tree with an enormous girth. It also includes a war mosque. These sites are under restrictive access to

528-515: Is mainly used to write the headings of surahs , Qur'anic chapters, and also for Arabic writings in mosques. Some of the oldest copies of the Qur'an were written entirely in Thuluth . Later copies were written in a combination of Thuluth and either Naskh or Muhaqqaq . After the 15th century Naskh came to be used exclusively. The script is used in the flags of Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan , where

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576-409: Is near the entrance to the tomb-garden. Fatima was the sister of Muhammed Qutb Shah. Her tomb houses several graves, two with inscriptions. Immediately to the south of Muhammed Quli's tomb are three uninscribed tombs. There are the mausoleums of Kulthoom, Muhammed Qutb Shahi's granddaughter born of the son of the sultan's favourite wife Khurshid Bibi, her (Kulthoom's) husband and daughter. Kulthoom's tomb

624-530: Is not that of a Qutb Shahi family member is that of Neknam Khan. Neknam Khan, who served in Abdullah's army, was the commander-in-chief of the Carnatic. His tomb is on a platform outside the mausoleum of Ibrahim Qutb Shah. It was built in 1672, two years after Nekam Khan's death. The last sultan of the dynasty, Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (also known as Tana Shah ), was not buried alongside his ancestor. Instead, he

672-480: Is on the west of this cluster. The twin-tombs of the two favourite hakims (physicians) of Sultan Abdullah — Nizamuddin Ahmed Gilani and Abdul Jabbar Gilani — were built in 1651. They are among the few Qutb Shahi tombs that are not of royalty. Another pair are those of Premamati and Taramati, the favourite courtesans of Sultan Abdullah Shah, who were laid to rest beside his tomb. One other tomb which

720-461: Is one of the finest existing specimens of ancient Persian or Turkish baths. The Qutb Shahis built a number of masjids all over Golkonda and Hyderabad, and almost every tomb has a masjid adjacent. The biggest and the grandest such masjid is by the mausoleum of Hayat Bakshi Begum. Popularly known as the great masjid of the Golkonda tombs, it was built in 1666 A.D. Fifteen cupolas decorate the roof and

768-478: Is popularly known as 7 tombs as it houses the tombs of the 7 (out of 8) sultans of Qutub Shahi dynasty Sultan Quli Qutb Mulk 's tomb, the style of which sets the example for the tombs of his descendants, is on an elevated terrace measuring 30 meters in each direction. The tomb chamber proper is octagonal, with each side measuring around 10 meters. The entire structure is crowned by a circular dome. There are three graves in this tomb chamber and twenty-one laid out on

816-527: Is thought to originate from the Telugu గొల్ల కొండ Golla koṇḍa for "Shepherd's hill". It is also thought that Kakatiya ruler Ganapatideva 1199–1262 built a stone hilltop outpost — later known as Golconda fort — to defend their western region. The fort was later developed into a fortified citadel in 1518 by Sultan Quli of the Qutb Shahi Empire and the city was declared the capital of

864-436: Is to separate the marks written below letters from those written above. Since its creation, Thuluth has given rise to a variety of scripts used in calligraphy and over time has allowed numerous modifications. Jeli Thuluth was developed for use in large panels, such as those on tombstones. The Muhaqqaq script was developed by widening the horizontal sections of the letters in Thuluth . The Naskh script introduced

912-529: The Quran were kept on pedestals 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 families. During the Qutb Shahi period, these tombs were held in great veneration. In 1687, during the Siege of Golconda , the tombs were converted into barracks by the invading Mughal army, and

960-614: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture , has restored the tombs. The restoration of the step-wells within the complex was funded by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation . The restoration work started in 2013, and was unveiled by the U.S. Ambassador to India on 10 March 2020. While restoration work paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic, work has now continued at a slower rate. Golconda Fort Golconda

1008-769: The Golconda Sultanate . The Bahmani kings took possession of the fort after it was made over to them by means of a sanad by the Rajah of Warangal . Under the Bahmani Sultanate , Golconda slowly rose to prominence. Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk (r. 1487–1543), sent by the Bahmanids as a governor at Golconda, established the city as the seat of his governance around 1501. Bahmani rule gradually weakened during this period, and Sultan Quli (Quli Qutub Shah period) formally became independent in 1518, establishing

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1056-512: The Qutb Shahi dynasty based in Golconda. Over a period of 62 years, the mud fort was expanded by the first three Qutb Shahi sultans into the present structure: a massive fortification of granite extending around 5 km (3.1 mi) in circumference . It remained the capital of the Qutb Shahi dynasty until 1590 when the capital was shifted to Hyderabad . The Qutb Shahis expanded the fort, whose 7 km (4.3 mi) outer wall enclosed

1104-541: The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), have come from the mines in and around the Golconda region. Many famed diamonds are believed to have been excavated from the mines of Golconda, such as: By the 1880s, "Golconda" was being used generically by English speakers to refer to any particularly rich mine, and later to any source of great wealth. During the Renaissance and the early modern eras,

1152-565: The Gypsies), amidst the Ibrahim bagh. The tombs form a large cluster and stand on a raised platform. They are domed structures built on a square base surrounded by pointed arches, a distinctive style that blends Persian and Indian forms . The tombs are 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. Copies of

1200-648: The Qutb Shahi dynasty at Golconda fort (also known as the Diamond Capitol of its time) and was home to the Kollur Mine. The ruler of Golconda was the well entrenched Abul Hasan Qutb Shah . Golconda fort is listed as an archaeological treasure on the official "List of Monuments" prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. Golconda consists of four distinct forts with

1248-913: The Second Recruit Training Centre for the Regiment of Artillery . Golconda Artillery Centre is located in and around the Golconda fort. The Golconda centre has three training regiments and presently trains 2900 recruits at a time. The Golconda fort and other Qutb Shahi dynasty Monuments of Hyderabad (the Charminar , and the Qutb Shahi Tombs) were submitted by the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO in 2010 for consideration as World Heritage Sites . They are currently included on India's " tentative list ". Thuluth The greatest contributions to

1296-520: The Sultanate disintegrated and Sultan Quli, who had been appointed as the Governor of Hyderabad by the Bahmani Kings, fortified the 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

1344-416: The city. During the early seventeenth century a strong cotton-weaving industry existed in Golconda. Large quantities of cotton were produced for domestic and exports consumption. High quality plain or patterned cloth made of muslin and calico was produced. Plain cloth was available as white or brown colour, in bleached or dyed variety. Exports of this cloth was to Persia and European countries. Patterned cloth

1392-431: The diamond trade, and gems sold there came from a number of mines. The fortress-city within the walls was famous for diamond trade. Its name has taken a generic meaning and has come to be associated with great wealth. Some gemologists use this classification to denote the extremely rare Type IIa diamond, a crystal that essentially lacks nitrogen impurities and is therefore colorless; Many Type IIa diamonds, as identified by

1440-412: The door has peacocks with ornate tails flanking an ornamental arched niche. The granite block lintel below has sculpted yalis flanking a disc. The design of peacocks and lions is typical of Hindu architecture and underlies this fort's Hindu origins. Jagadamba temple, located next to Ibrahim mosque and the king's palace, is visited by lakhs of devotees during Bonalu festival every year. Jagadamba temple

1488-478: The enameled tiles, which once adorned this mausoleum, can still be seen on the southern wall. The tomb has two graves in the main chamber and 16 on the terrace; some of them probably are those of his six sons and three daughters. There are inscriptions in the Thuluth script on all faces of the sarcophagus. The three famous calligraphists — Isphalan, Ismail, and Taqiuddin Muhammad Salih — who left

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1536-516: The evolution of the Thuluth script occurred in the Ottoman Empire in three successive steps that Ottoman art historians call "calligraphical revolutions": The best known artist to write the Thuluth script at its zenith is said to be Mustafa Râkım Efendi (1757–1826), a painter who set a standard in Ottoman calligraphy which many believe has not been surpassed to this day. Thuluth

1584-432: The grounds were turned into a camp. Guns were mounted onto the mausoleums in order to bomb the fortress. The tombs fell into disrepair until Sir Salar Jung III ordered their restoration in the early 19th century. A garden was laid out, and a compound wall was built. Once again, the tomb garden of the Qutb Shahi family became a place of serene beauty. All except the last of the Qutb Shahi sultans lie buried here. The complex

1632-574: The inside. There are entrances on the southern and eastern sides. The tomb is in a vault below the terrace. Inscriptions in Persian and the Naskh scripts decorate it. Another grand mausoleum is that of the sixth sultan, Muhammed Qutb Shah . The facade of this tomb was once decorated with enameled tiles; only traces are now evident. There are six graves and inscriptions in Thuluth and Naskh. The mausoleum

1680-733: The name "Golconda" acquired a legendary aura and became synonymous for vast wealth. The mines brought riches to the Qutb Shahis of Hyderabad State , who ruled Golconda up to 1687, then to the Nizam of Hyderabad , who ruled after the independence from the Mughal Empire in 1724 until 1948, when the Indian integration of Hyderabad occurred. The siege of Golconda occurred in January 1687, when Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb led his forces to besiege

1728-471: The outer side of Golconda are built on a point which is quite rocky. The "Kala Mandir" is also located in the fort. It can be seen from the king's durbar (king's court) which was on top of the Golconda fort. The other buildings found inside the fort are: Habshi Kamans (Abyssian arches), Ashlah Khana, Taramati mosque, Ramadas Bandikhana, Camel stable, private chambers (kilwat), Mortuary bath, Nagina bagh, Ramasasa's kotha, Durbar hall, Ambar khana etc. Naya Qila

1776-450: The prayer-hall is flanked by two lofty minarets. The impression, as a whole, is one of majesty and splendour. The inscriptions in the masjid are in calligraphic art. Hayat Bakshi Begum was the daughter of Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth sultan, the wife of Sultan Muhammed Qutb Shah, the sixth sultan, and the mother of Abdullah Qutb Shah, the seventh sultan. She was affectionately known as " Ma Saheba " (Revered Mother). The tomb-garden of

1824-532: The public because of the Golf Course. The tombs of the Qutub Shahi sultans lie about one kilometre north of Golconda's outer wall. These structures are made of beautifully carved stonework, and surrounded by landscaped gardens. They are open to the public and receive many visitors. It is one of the famous sight-seeing places in Hyderabad. Golconda Artillery Centre, Hyderabad, was raised on 15 August 1962 as

1872-496: The ritual washing of the bodies of the dead kings and others of the royal family before they were carried to their final resting place. The practice followed was to bring the body out of the fort, through the Banjara Gate, to this bath, before carrying it away for burial with the ritualistic pomp that was required to mark the occasion. A large number of people — relatives, officials, friends, and fond subjects — attended. The bath

1920-511: The south-eastern corner. An acoustic effect can be experienced at Fateh Darwazaan, a hand clap at a certain point below the dome at the entrance reverberates and can be heard clearly at the 'Bala Hisar' pavilion , the highest point almost a kilometer away. This worked as a warning in case of an attack. Bala Hissar Gate is the main entrance to the fort located on the eastern side. It has a pointed arch bordered by rows of scroll work. The spandrels have yalis and decorated roundels. The area above

1968-672: The sultans of Golkonda was known as " Lagar-e-Faiz Athar " (a place for bountiful entertainment) in the days of the Qutb Shahi rulers, for some item or song or dance or even an occasional play was staged here every evening, free of cost, to entertain the poor. An engraving of a painting by William Purser entitled [REDACTED] The Tombs of the Kings of Golconda . is the subject of a poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1838. The Telangana State Archaeology and Museums Department, in collaboration with

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2016-512: The surrounding terrace, all of which lack inscription except for the main tomb. The inscription on Sultan Quli's tomb is in three bands, in the Naskh and Tauq scripts. The inscription refers to Sultan Quli as Bade Malik (Great Master) — the endearing term by which all people of the Deccan used for him. The tomb was built in 1543 A.D. by the Sultan, during his lifetime, as was the custom. Near

2064-535: The text, Shahada al Tawhid , is written in Thuluth . An important aspect of Thuluth is the use of harakat ( "hareke" in Turkish) to represent vowel sounds and of certain other stylistic marks to beautify the script. The rules governing the former are similar to the rules for any Arabic script. The stylistic marks have their own rules regarding placement and grouping which allow for great creativity as to shape and orientation. For example, one grouping technique

2112-412: The tomb of Sultan Quli is that of his son, Jamsheed , the second in the line of Qutb Shahi sultans. Built in 1550 A.D., this is the only Qutb Shahi tomb which has not been fashioned from shining black basalt. Its appearance, too, is quite unlike the other tombs in the garden — it rises gracefully in two stories, unlike the squat tombs of the other kings. Jamsheed Quli Qutb Shah 's is the only tomb of

2160-431: Was built in 1626. Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah 's tomb is the last of the royal tombs, as Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (Tana Shah), the last Qutb Shahi Sultan, was a prisoner in the fortress of Daulatabad, near Aurangabad, when he died. While the tombs of those who ruled dominate the area, interspersed are many other monuments, most of them tombs of other members of the royal family. The tomb of Fatima Sultan, with its bulbous dome,

2208-468: Was buried at Khuldabad . The mausoleum which Abul Hasan , the last Qutb Shahi Sultan, began building for himself, actually houses the grave of Mir Ahmed, the son of Sultan Abdullah's son-in-law and the sister of Abbas II Safair, the Shah of Persia. The tomb of Fadma Khanum, one of Sultan Abdullah's daughters, stands near the mausoleum of her husband, Mir Ahmed. Hers is the only Qutb Shahi tomb not surmounted by

2256-533: Was made of prints which were made indigenously with indigo for blue, chay-root for red coloured prints and vegetable yellow. Patterned cloth exports were mainly to Java, Sumatra and other eastern countries. The fort finally fell into ruin in 1687 after an eight-month-long siege led to its fall at the hands of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb , who ended the Qutb Shahi reign and took the last Golconda king, Abul Hassan Tana Shah , captive. The Golconda fort used to have

2304-480: Was put by UNESCO on its "tentative list" to become a World Heritage Site in 2014, with other forts in the region, under the name Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate (despite there being a number of different sultanates). The origins of the Golconda fort can be traced back to the 11th century. It was originally a small mud fort built by Pratāparudra of the Kakatiya Empire . The name Golconda

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