Dictionary of islamic architecture

See also:
Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Ottomans
Further reading:
G.Fehevari, ‘A centre for Islamic culture in Hungary’,
Arts of the Islamic World
5(2) 18 : 46–8, 1990.
hunkar mahfil
A royal lodge or gallery in an Ottoman mosque.
Hyderabad
Fifth largest city in India and capital of the second largest
native state in British India.
The state of Hyderabad was ruled over by the
Nizams of Hyderabad who were Muslims although
the majority of the population was Hindu. Although
conquered by the Mughals in the late seventeenth
century the Nizams managed to retain their
independence until 1947 when the state was taken
over by Indian government troops.
The city was founded in 1591 by the fifth ruler of
Golconda, Quli Qutb Saha. The city was originally
known as Baghnagar (city of gardens) and later
acquired the name Hyderabad. It is located on the
banks of the river Musi and was laid out on a plan
with the two main roads intersecting at the Char
Minar at the centre of the city. To the north of the
Char Minar were the palaces of the Nizam rulers
which were destroyed during the Mughal conquest
of 1687. Between 1724 and 1740 Mubariz Khan, the
Mughal governor, supervised the construction of the
city walls with fourteen gates, only two of which
have survived.
Several buildings survive from the pre-Mughal
period the most famous of which is the Char Minar
which dominates the centre of the city. To the north-
east of the Char Minar is the Mecca Masjid built
out of local granite between 1614 and 1693. This is
one of the largest mosques in India and the main
entrance consists of five arches and four minars
whilst the interior of the mosque contains two huge
domes supported on monolithic columns. Directly
to the north of the Char Minar is the Jami Masjid
which was built in 1598 and is one of the oldest
mosques in the city. This mosque forms part of a
complex that included a bath house and madrassa
which have survived as ruins. A better preserved
complex is the Danish Shifa hospital and medical
college (built in 1535) which consists of a two-storey
square courtyard building with a mosque attached.
Also from this early period is the Badshahi
Ashurkhana which was built in 1592 as a royal
house of mourning. The building is decorated with
Persian-style tile mosaics and has an outer timber
porch added in the late eighteenth century. Little
remains of the original royal palaces although the
Charkaman (Four arches) built in 1594 was
originally a monumental gateway opening on to
the palace grounds.