Restoration brings Qutub Shahi tombs to life 1 Rs b

hyderabad — Undergoing massive restoration after decades of neglect, the magnificent medieval necropolis complex, Qutub Shahi tombs, was thrown open to public on Monday, coinciding with the 450th birth anniversary of Quli Qutub Shah, the founder of Hyderabad.

The sprawling QST complex, built during the reign of the Qutub Shahi dynasty that ruled the Hyderabad region for 170 years in the 16th 17th centuries, has been undergoing restoration works since 2013. The Rs1 billion restoration project is being executed by the Aga Khan Foundation’s Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Spread over 108 acres, it is said to be the only necropolis in the world where all the sultans of a dynasty, barring one ruler, are buried.

The Qutub Shahi tombs are one of the most significant medieval necropolises with 72 structures within its complex, encompassing 40 mausoleums, 23 mosques, five step-wells and water structures, a hamam (mortuary bath), pavilions, garden structures and enclosure walls. It is in the race for Unesco’s World Heritage tag.

Despite being a major tourist attraction, the complex had suffered neglect by the successive governments for decades. At present, massive restoration works are underway and the entire project is expected to take 10 years for completion.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a integrated conservation and landscape restoration restoration work will take 10 years to be completed project at the tomb complex was signed in January 2013 by the Andhra Pradesh State Department of Archaeology and Museums, the Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

The signing of the agreement was preceded by a year-long documentation programme, where each of the 72 structures within the tomb complex — Deccan Park area have been documented and their conservation needs established. Topographical surveys of the entire site have also been undertaken and a landscape master plan prepared.

Standing testimony to Indo-Persian architecture, the majestic monuments, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad, are a major tourist attraction. However, the ravages of time have taken a toll on these heritage sites. The conservation works at the tombs are being undertaken by master craftsmen using traditional tools, building techniques and traditional materials respecting the intention of the original builders. A significant portion of the site would be developed as an ecological zone with plantations of local flora to encourage birds as well as revive the historic water bodies.

Hyderabad’s heritage site eyes old glory