From Nimrah we strolled across to Makkah Masjid and this was a first for me. As we enter we found to the left a hall made of marble which house the tombs of all the Nizams barring the 1st and the 7th. The sixth Nizam's tomb (Mahboob Ali Khan) had a covering as he was considered a saint.
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| Makkah Masjid |
Many people were relaxing there, some were deep in sleep.
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| Makkah Masjid |
Mukhtyar explained that it was called the Makkah masjid because the Qutb Shahi ruler who started it, Muhammad Qutb Shah, had soil brought from Makkah, baked bricks out of it and laid the foundation with those bricks (which are also there in the central arch).
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| The tombs |
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| The Nizams Tombs - all but the 1st and the 7th |
It is the largest mosque in Hyderabad and can house 10000. The main walls are made of single pieces of granite and it is said that it took years to quarry it. 8000 workers were employed and it took almost 80 years to complete - finally Aurangzeb had to complete it in 1694 after he defeated the Qutb Shahis.
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| Inside the massive Makkah Masjid |
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| Sundial and my co walkers |
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| Dramatic |
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| Charminar from Makkah Masjid |
The caretaker took us in and showed us the inscriptions in gold. There is a sun dial of those times which is not functional anymore for whatever reason.
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