Mecca Masjid Hyderabad

The Mecca masjid is one of the largest and the oldest masjids(mosques) in the city of Hyderabad as well as South India. The Mecca Masjid lies at a distance of hundred yards southwest of the historical landmark of Hyderabad- Char Minar.

The work of construction of this mosque was commenced by Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1617 under the supervision of Rangiah Choudhary and Mir Faizullah Baig. Later this task was continued by Abul Hasan Tana Shah of Golconda and finally it was completed by Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor in the year 1694.Altogether it took seventy-seven years to build this magnificent edifice.

Like other old structures in the Hyderabad city, the gigantic edifice is built in granite and has a beautiful interior. The main hallway of the Mecca masjid has a height of 75 feet, width of 220 feet and a length of 180 feet. Thus the hall is so spacious that it can accommodate about ten thousand worshippers at a time.

It is believed that the bricks which were used in the construction of the principal arch of the mosque were made from the earth brought from Mecca. In fact Muhammed Quli commissioned people to bring the sacred earth of Mecca. Hence this mosque is known as Mecca Masjid.

The mosque houses the tombs of the Nizams of the Asaf Jahi dynasty who ruled Hyderabad from 1803 onwards. A room in the enshrines five sacred relics including a strand of hair of Prophet Muhammad .The five curved facades were carved out of a single slab of granite. The prayer hall of the mosque consists of five aisles. There are also minars with circular corners and octagonal balconies. The cresting domes of the Mecca masjid were included in the mosque architecture by the Mughal emperors later.

Within the courtyard there is a pond that is bounded by two stone seats. There is a strong belief according to the legend that if any visitor sits on that stone seat, he is bound to return to Hyderabad.