Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad

Mecca Masjid is one of the oldest mosques in Hyderabad, India, and it is one of the largest masjids in India. Makkah Masjid is a heritage building in the old city of Hyderabad, close to landmarks of Hyderabad like Chowmahalla Palace, Laad Bazaar, and Charminar.

The story of the name _ã?Mecca Masjid_ã? stems from how Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, had commanded that bricks be made from soil which was brought from Mecca, considered to be the holiest shrine of Islam. These bricks were used to construct the arch at the centre of the mosque. The city of Hyderabad was planned around this mosque by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah.

 

How to Reach Mecca Masjid : Well connected through main city via all means of transport. Bus services quite prominent.

History of Mecca Masjid : Makkah Masjid was built during the reign of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the 5th Qutb Shahi Sultan of Golconda, the present Hyderabad. The three arched facades have been carved from a single piece of granite, which took five years. More than 8,000 workers were employed to build the mosque. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah himself laid the foundation stone. The construction was later completed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb after he conquered Hyderabad.

Architecture of Mecca Masjid : The main prayer hall of the mosque is 75 feet high, 220 feet wide and 180 feet long, enough to accommodate 10,000 people at a time. As many as fifteen arches support the roof of the main hall, five on each of the three sides. A wall rises on the fourth side to provide Mihrab. The octagonal columns have arched balconies on level with the roof of the mosque with an awning for a structure of a canopy, above which the column continues upwards, and crowned by a dome and spire.

Issues Encountered : The Makkah Masjid is a listed heritage monument, but lack of maintenance and growing pollution has withered and cracked the structure in places. It was given a chemical wash in 1995. In May 2007, a bomb exploded inside the Makkah Masjid at the time of Friday prayers, killing at least thirteen people and harming dozens.