Hayat Bakshi Mosque also Hayat Bakshi Begum Masjid or Grand Mosque is a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

located in

Hayathnagar Hayathnagar is a busy residential locality Hyderabad in Ranga Reddy district of the Indian state of Telangana, pincode 500070 & 501505 . It is Mandal headquarter of Hayathnagar mandal of Hayathnagar revenue division. Hayathnagar forms circle No ...

, near

Hyderabad, India Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the '' de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern In ...

. It was constructed in 1672 during the reign of

Abdullah Qutb Shah Abdullah Qutb Shah (also transliterated in different ways) was the seventh ruler of the kingdom of Golconda in southern India under the Qutb Shahi dynasty. He ruled from 1626 to 1672. Abdullah, son of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah, was a polyglot, a ...

the fifth

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

Golconda Fort (Telugu: గోల్కొండ, romanized: ''Gōlkōnḍa'') is a historic fortress and ruined city located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was originally called Mankal. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparu ...

, and named after

Hayat Bakshi Begum Hayat Bakshi Begum (died 26 February, 1667) was the royal consort of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah, the sixth ruler of the Golconda Sultanate in south India. When her son Abdullah Qutb Shah was made sultan at the age of fourteen in 1626, she acted ...

. There is a mosque with the same name in "

Qutb Shahi tombs 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 smal ...

" as well.

Structure and architecture

The Mosque is built in typical

Qutub Shahi The Qutb Shahi dynasty also called as Golconda Sultanate (Persian: ''Qutb Shāhiyān'' or ''Sultanat-e Golkonde'') was a Persianate Shia Islam dynasty of Turkoman origin that ruled the sultanate of Golkonda in southern India. After the coll ...

architecture; with the Sarai, a rest house for the weary travelers. The façade features five arches, two

minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...

s as well as a frieze and parapet which runs around the twelve-sided arcaded galleries protruding from the corner minarets. The prayer hall is set on a raised platform. Toward the eastern side of the platform and below the

is an ablution tank. The large complex occupies nearly 5 acres. The caravan sarai (rest house) is a 150 m by 130 m courtyard. This guest house is said to have 130 rooms. Hathi Bawli (meaning well of

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...

), is a very large well on the north-east of the mosque.

Controversy

In May 2009, the archaeology and museums department requested permission from the

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, commonly known as the GHMC is the civic body that oversees Hyderabad, the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It is the local government for the cities of Hyderabad and Secund ...

(GHMC) to tear down 20 structures abutting the Hayat Bakshi Begum Mosque in violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1960. Hayat Bakshi Mosque 07 - Mihrab

References

{{Qutb Shahi Monuments Mosques in Hyderabad, India Tourist attractions in Hyderabad, India Heritage structures in Hyderabad, India Qutb Shahi architecture Buildings and structures in Hyderabad, India

Structure and architecture

Controversy

See also

References