Qutub Shahi Tombs Hyderabad
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A cluster of tombs lies amid the lush, beautiful, landscaped gardens known Ibrahim bagh that lies a few kilometers away from the Golconda fort. The tombs bear a testimony to the Qutub Shahi architectural traditions.
These seven tombs are dedicated to the memory of the seven Qutub Shahi kings who reigned the region of Golconda for about one hundred and seventy years. The grand tombs reflected the architectural styles of Indo-Persian architecture as well as the Deccani styles. The distinct Qutub Shahi School of architecture was characterized by domes, arches, minarets and columns. These architectural styles originated during the times of Ibrahim Qutub Shah and this school of art reached their zenith during the rule of Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah. The Qutub Shahi Tombs flaunts the magnificent engineering talent of the Qutub Shahi era.
When one examines the architectural features of the Qutub Shahi Tombs one gets an insight into art and architecture of that epoch.
The people who were the kith and kin of the Hyderabad Nawabs or rulers are buried within the Qutub Shahi tombs. The most important tomb among the seven Qutub Shahi tombs are the one that was laid in the memory of Hayath Bakshi Begum. This lady was the daughter of the famous ruler - Muhammed Quli Qutub who was the founder of the city of Hyderabad and also the person who erected the feted landmark of Hyderabad-Char Minar.
Among the Qutub Shahi Tombs, most of the bigger tombs are two-storeyed while the small ones are single-storeyed. This enormous complex of burial chambers stand on an elevated plateau. Each tomb is raised on a broad quadrangle terrace that can be accessed from various sided by a flight of steps. At the centre of every tomb lies the casket which crowns the vault and the crypt lying below. The place is steeped in history.