The Qutb Shahi Tombs, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh India

The Qutb Shahi Tombs lie close to the Golconda Fort in the serenely landscaped Ibrahim Bagh. The beautifully adorned tombs of the members of the royal family and the tranquil garden in which they are placed are an important itinerary among the excursions from the Secunderabad.  The Qutb Shahi Tombs are placed in two separate galleries in Ibrahim Bagh. The garden is the burial ground of all the Qutb Shahi kings, excepting the last monarch. Tombs of the Qutb Shahi Kings The gallery of tombs consists of small and large engraved structures. The smaller tombs are made of a single storey while the larger ones, like that of Mohammed Quli's Tomb feature two storeys. The grandest of all tombs is that of Mohammed Quli, built in 1602. The tomb stands below a vault under the terrace and bears the inscriptions written in Persian and Naskh scripts. The tomb can be reached through the southern and the eastern gates.  Sultan Quli's Tomb was built in the year 1543 by the king himself, in accordance to the prevailing custom. This set the design for the tombs of his descendants. The chamber, in which three tombs are placed, is octagonal in shape. Sultan Quli's tomb displays a unique style of inscription that appears in three bands, written in the Tauq and Naskh scripts. The inlaid inscription cites the Sultan as the Bada Malik, meaning The Great Master.  Beside the tomb of the Sultan lies the engraved structure of his son, Jamshed. The unique characteristic of this tomb is that it is the only tomb in the gallery to be built of black basalt. Unlike the squat tombs of the other rulers, Jamshed's tomb is built in two storeys and does not bear any inscription. The tomb of Jamshed's son also does not bear any inscription like his father's.  The mausoleum of Sultan Ibrahim's tomb was earlier enameled with tiles, the reminiscent of which are still present. The calligraphists and contemporaries of Ibrahim Shah, Ismail, Isphalan and Taqiuddiii Muhammad Salih, left teinscriptions on the edifices in Naskh, Tulth and Nastaliq scripts.  In terms of grandiosity, the tomb of Mohanunad Qutub Shah, the sixth Sultan, is comparable with that of Mohammed Quli. The tomb still bears the reminiscent of the enameled tiles that decorated the tomb earlier. The mausoleum of the tomb was built in the year 1626. The tomb of the king's sister, Fatima Sultan lies by the entrance of the garden.  The gallery also preserves the twin tombs of the favorite hakims or physicians of the court that were built in 1651. The tomb of the favorite dancers of Sultan Abdullah Shah, Premamati and Taramati and the commander-in-chief of his army, Neknam Khan, are also placed in the premises.

Located about a kilometer north from Golconda Fort, the Qutub Shahi tombs represent the most authentic and majestic display of the Qutub Shahi dynasty architectural traditions today. The grandeur of the tombs is ensconced amidst the beautiful and picturesque landscape and gardens of Ibrahim Bagh, and the tombs themselves are dedicated to the seven Qutub Shahi kings who ruled Golconda for nearly 170 years. The style of the tombs are varied, displaying Hindu, Persian, and Pathan forms–Indo-Persian architectures that are influenced by Deccani structural ideas. As a result, a distinct Qutub Shari school of architecture marked by liberal use of minarets, arches, domes, and columns was born.

The tombs differ in size but all are comparable to each other in architectural grandeur and beauty. Ironically, one of the most modest of these tombs belong to the Qutub Shahi dynasty founder, Sultan Quli Qutub-ul-Mulk. He built his tomb himself and it is just marked by simplicity and design symmetry, standing on a platform 30 meters on each side. From the plinth, the walls and the dome measure 12 meters while the ramparts have four Bahmani-style bouquets on each side of the tomb. Inside, the shape is octagonal with each side having a width of as much as 10 meters. Quli Qutub-ul-Mulk’s son’s tomb, Sultan Jamsheed Quli Qutub Shah, is also quite modest although extremely imposing, as it is standing on a high quadrangular platform. Among all the royal tombs, it is the only one that does not use black basalt in its construction.

Easily the most impressive, though, is the tomb of Hyderabad’s founder, Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah. It rises to a height of 42.5 meters, topped by a large dome. 28 open arches are located on each side. The tomb was constructed on a two-tiered terrace designed to look like a captivating gallery, complete with false openings and two central pillars. Minarets and rich ornamental parapets complete the Islamic architecture.

There are also tombs that belong to non-ruling members of the royal families. For example, there is the tomb of the sister of Muhammed Qutub Shah, Fatima Sultan. The tomb of the sufi saint Husain Wali, the man who built Husain Sagar which bridges Hyderabad and Secunderabad is also found there. While not as impressive as the tombs of the seven main rulers, they are still awe-inspiring in their own right.