Qutb Shahi Tombs

The Qutb Shahi rulers built their tombs in one place over about a hundred and seventy years, so unusually for an Indian dynasty almost the whole line lies together: seven of the sultans plus family members, physicians and courtiers, in around thirty major tombs across a walled garden of some hundred acres. The style mixes Persian, Pathan and Deccani elements, domes on cubic bases with arcaded galleries, once faced in coloured tile of which patches survive. A long conservation project run with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has restored the structures, the stepwells and the garden layout, work that has continued for over a decade.

History

In the Qutb Shahi period the tombs were greatly venerated; during the siege of Golconda in 1687 the Mughal army turned them into barracks and mounted guns on the mausoleums to bombard the fort. Sir Salar Jung III later ordered their restoration, with a garden and a compound wall, and all but the last of the Qutb Shahi sultans lie here; restoration by the Telangana archaeology department with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture began in 2013 (Wikipedia, Qutb Shahi tombs).

What's there

• The dynastic necropolis - seven sultans of one line in a single garden.
• The Deccani domes - cubic tombs with arcaded galleries and dome profiles.
• The tile traces - patches of the original coloured facing.
• The stepwells - restored baolis within the garden complex.

When to go

October to March; the garden is open and exposed. Mornings and late afternoon give the best light on the domes. The site is far quieter than Golconda alongside it.

Good to know

Conservation work means individual tombs are periodically closed or scaffolded. The complex is large and involves considerable walking. Interpretation is limited relative to the site's importance.

Nearby

Golconda Fort lies south; Hyderabad's centre is east.

Key facts