The city of Tombs hyderabad

Located at a distance of approximately 850 metres away from the Banjara Darwaza of Golconda Fort, Qutub Shahi Tombs consist of tombs of seven Qutub Shahi rulers. Considered to be few of the oldest monuments of Hyderabad, these tombs captivate their visitors with the architectural excellence presenting a beautiful blend of Persian and Indian architectural styles.

You can see the influences of Hindu, Pathan, Deccan as well as Persian styles in the structure of tombs.The entrance and corridors of the tombs presents an Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, while ornamental parapets and minarets showcase the Islamic architecture. Two-tiered terraces, false ceilings and central pillars, which form an essential part of the structures, have also been intricately decorated.

These tombs were planned and built by Qutub Shahis. These were renovated by Salar Jung III, Mir Yousuf Ali Khan in the 19th century. Constructed on an elevated platform, these tombs are made up of grey granite.

These are dome-structured and have quadrangular shape. Each tomb is surrounded by pointed arches and is of 9-15 meters in height from the platform. These pointed arches also add on to the beauty of these structures. Each tomb is also decorated with beautiful ornamentation. However with the passage of time, these ornamentations are not clearly visible now.

These seven Qutub Shahi tombs are of varying sizes. Smaller tombs have single storey while the bigger tombs have two storeys. The tomb of Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah who was the fifth king of the Qutub Shahi dynasty is the largest of all the Qutub Shahi tombs. It is of approximately 42 meters in height and has 28 open arches along with a large dome. There are minarets at its corners.

However, the most important yet the most modest tomb is considered to be of Sultan Quli Qutub-ul-Mulk, who is the founder of Qutub Shahi Dynasty. He not only built his tomb himself but is also said to be the longest supervisor of this magnificent architectural project. It was also his decision to build the tombs on non-ruling royal family members as well such as of nephews, nieces, and sisters.

Qutub shahi tombs, like the Paigah Tombs are dedicated to the royal family and the rulers of of Qutub Shahis. The structural beauty of these tombs still attracts admirers from all over the world.

These tombs are now the venue for the Deccan Festival which is conducted by the State Government. These tombs are surrounded by garden ‘Ibrahim Bagh’ which is a popular picnic spot. There are other popular tourist attractions located near to the tombs as well. Paigah Tombs, Raymond Tomb, Salar Jung Museum are a few nearby attractions.

Qutub shahi tombs timings are from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. It is open from Monday to Sunday. The entry fee for the tombs is only Rs. 10 per person and for children it is Rs. 5 per person. If interested in taking photographs, you are required to pay minimal fee Rs. 20 for each camera.