Historical PeriodEra
Begun 1617 (Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, foundation by his own prayer-clean hands); completed 1694 (Aurangzeb); 8,000 workers; 77 years
3000 BCEBegun 1617 (Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, foundation by his own prayer-clean hands); completed 1694 (Aurangzeb); 8,000 workers; 77 yearsPresent
Sacred Facts · At a Glance
- Element
- earth
Primary Scriptures
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Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad
The Mosque of Mecca Clay
A hundred yards from Charminar rises the Qutb Shahi Friday mosque whose central arch — tradition holds — is baked of bricks made with soil brought from Mecca. Begun by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1617, raised by 8,000 workers across 77 years and three reigns, finished by Aurangzeb in 1694: one building, two empires, ten thousand worshippers.
What Is Here
- Single-stone facades: three arches carved each from one granite block — five years' quarrying per stone, by the records
- The relic room: a chamber said to hold a hair of the Prophet — shown on high occasions
- The tank seats: slab seats around the ablution tank; legend promises whoever sits will return to Hyderabad
- The Nizam graves: Asaf Jahi tombs line the courtyard — the city's rulers buried at prayer's edge
- Hall of granite columns: each column a single piece; capacity 10,000 — among India's largest prayer halls
Visiting
- Old City, active worship: modest dress, shoe removal, Friday noon the great congregation; non-Muslim visitors welcome outside prayer times
- Pair with Charminar, Laad Bazaar bangles, and Chowmahalla Palace in one walk
Sources & provenance
📜 1 Primary🎓 1 Scholarly
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- 🎓Scholarly source