Islamic heritage of Hyderabad

Hyderabad is the sixth largest city in India out of twenty-eight states and the capital of the Telangana state in the Indian Deccan plateau, with the Musi River flowing through the city. Ten dynasties, both Hindu and Muslim, ruled over Hyderabad until the formation of the Republic of India in 1948.
The name of the city comes from Haydar, referring to the fourth caliph 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, and "abad", a Persian suffix meaning inhabited. It was also sometimes called Bagnagar or Garden City, referencing the vast gardens and garden palaces in the city which could be categorized into eleven clusters of gardens around the outskirts. This makes Hyderabad a boiling pot for both Hindu and Muslim heritage with a variety of architectural projects ranging from mosques and tombs to palaces and gateways.
History
Before the establishment of the Qutb Shahi dynasty in Hyderabad, the Hindu dynasty of Chalukya ruled over the Deccan Plateau until the Kakatiya dynasty took over in the 11th century. The sultanate was subsequently divded into five Kingdoms: Bijapur, Ahmednagar, Berar, Golconda (present-day Hyderabad), and Bidar. Later, under the rule of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Hyderabad was founded by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 and its layout is said to be similar to earlier Deccani cities like Warangal the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty.
Islamic-built heritage in Hyderabad
Mosques
Based on a survey by Omar Khalidi published by the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, Hyderabad contains at least twenty-one historical mosques:
# Jama Masjid
# Mecca Masjid
# Miyan Mishk ki Masjid
# Toli Masjid
# Abd al-Rahim Khan ki Masjid
# Shaykhpet Masjid and Saray
# Pema/PremaMati ki Masjid
# Kulsum Begum ki Masjid
# Hayatabad/Hayatnagar ki Masjid and Saray
# Khayriyatunnisa Begum ki Masjid and Tomb
# Masjid Qutb-i Alam
# Qutb Shahi Masjid at Uppal Kalan
# Mushirabad Masjid
# Purani Eidgah
# Kali Masjid
# Chowk ki Masjid
# Afzal Ganj ki Masjid
# Spanish Mosque
# Khwaja Ka Chilla
# Bagh-i Aam ki Masjid
# Aazah Khanah-i Zahra
Mecca Masjid
Located southwest of Charminar, the Mecca Masjid was commissioned by Muhammad Qutb Shah in 1617 and completed by Aurangazeb in 1693, as indicated in the foundation inscription on the front gate of the mosque. The mosque is covered by fifteen domes, one of which lays above the mihrab. The central bay has two domes and a vaulted roof between them. Several sultans are buried in the mosque, including Nizam Ali Khan and Mahbub Ali Khan. - with a double hall and a paved courtyard. Inscriptions inside the mosque are both naskh and thuluth and in both Arabic and Persian. It was the sultan's seat during the Qutb Shah dynasty, although the actual structure was built before it. The original building had eight gates, four of which are still in use - Fateh, Banjara, Mecca and Jamali gates. It contains a gateway, a madarsa, a water reservoir, and a mosque. the first level is a mezzanine arcade and the second level contains the mosque located on the western side. The mezzanine is made up of seven arches and a continuous line of sixteen arches allowing for circular movement above the central dome. All the mausolea follow the same architectural scheme: square structures with bulbous domes with Hindu inspired lotus petal designs on their drums, recessed arches on all four facades and corner turrets. They are also raised on a plinth made out of local granite. Both monuments, along with the Qutb Shahi tombs, present universal value in being the longest standing testaments of Qutb Shahi dynasty architecture.

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