Protected heritage monument in decrepit state

Shaikpet: A 400-year-old Qutub Shahi Mosque at Shaikpet had turned into an eyesore. Despite being a protected monument, the mosque is left in an awful state. Lime plaster is wiped out, minarets are almost broken, and foliage has grown inside the mosque which makes the structure almost invisible.

As per the government declaration, the Mosque is a protected monument under the Andhra Pradesh ancient Historical Monuments, Historical sites and Remains act of 1960, but still remains in unprecedented state, ruining in the scars of civilisation. 

Qutub Shahi Mosque architecturally rich structure with a facade which features three-arches which are beautifully carved with lime plaster depicting the typical Indo-Islamic architecture. Two minarets are adorned with turquoise blue tiles arranged in symmetrical zig-zag structure with onion dome on top.  The mosque also incubates ‘Shan’ or courtyard which is now enclosed by the boundary wall of the mosque.

A resident of Shaikpet Maulana Saif said “The mosque is not open for public, the gates were closed years ago. Nobody takes care of the mosque. At least, if they keep it open for society, we can take care of it”. 

It is shocking to know that the Qutub Shahi Mosque is protected monument which no one knows about. Professor Salma Ahmed Farooqui from Maulana Azad University said, “No research was being done and no amount of work has been taken place regarding the mosque”. Department of Archaeology and Museums and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTCH) has got no knowledge about the structure.

When enquired with the officials, Caretaker of Heritage sites Rajender said, “This structure is not being renovated because of the controversies in the locality. The boundary wall was built in 2008 and we are planning to renovate the mosque since 2015. But some locals wanted to pray in the mosque while some people objected and filed a police complaint. Thereafter the mosque was left unattended and people are throwing garbage although we had cleaned the structure in 2015”.  

BY Mayank Tiwari