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Khazana Building Museum

Khazana Building Museum is located Near Golconda Fort in Khair Complex, Toli Chowki, Hyderabad, Telangana 500008, India. It has a collection of relics from Qutb Shahi, Bahmani and Kakatiya dynasties.

 Khazana Building, As the name suggests, Khazana Building was the place where the kingdoms Khazana or treasure was stored. It was the treasury of Ibrahim Qutb Shahi. Khazana Building is located close to the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad. Located on the main road, on the way from Fateh Darwaza to Bala Hissar road.

The museum houses cannons from the Qutb Shahi period, stone sculptures from neighbouring regions of Chalukya and Kakatiya period as well as Qutb shahi and Bahmani dynasties, rare coins to centuries old relics unearthed during various excavations etc, 3,500 arms and weapons of Qutb Shahi period among others.

As is with most Islamic buildings, there are religious centres inside the complex. Ashrafi Mosque in the eastern quarters of the building, Chani mosque (built during Ibrahim Qutb Shahi time 1550-1580 AD), the smaller mosque of the two.

After the police action in 1948, Indian Army used this building as treasury office for distribution of salaries to their staff. It was handed over to the Department of Archaeology and Museums in 1951.
During the reign of Qutb Shahi dynasty, Golconda was the capital. This was the period during which Sultan Zam Sheed, Ibrahim Qutb Shahi and IVth Sultan, Mohammed Quli, who was also the founder of Hyderabad, ascended the throne. At that time, during the reign of the Sultans, the capital came to be known as Mohammed Nagar. Being the capital city, all the major religious, military, administrative offices and important buildings were built here.

When tourists enter the Khazana Building Museum, they can first notice the guard rooms of the royal treasury of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. As with most Islamic buildings, there are religious centres inside the complex- Ashrafi Mosque in the eastern quarters of the building and Chani Mosque (built during Ibrahim Qutb Shahi time, 1550 AD – 1580 AD), the smaller mosque of the two. Located opposite to the Khazana Building Museum is Sham Sheer Kota. During the reign of Ibrahim Qutb Shah, royal arms and weaponry were stored in this building.

Khazana Building has a majestic central arch, on the sides of which are two halls. The arch supports the roofs of these halls. The halls had a special purpose too, these were storehouses of the royal treasury of the army and government of Qutb Shahi. The central arch leads to the Courtyard and the gardens. Today, there are Canons from the Qutb Shahi Period on display, here. Also, stone sculptures from neighboring regions, of the Chalukya and Kakatiya period as well as Qutb Shahi and Bahmani dynasties are on exhibition. From rare coins to centuries-old relics unearthed during various excavations, the region’s treasure of history and heritage are displayed at the Khazana Building Museum.

When the Nizams were replaced by the democratic government, in 1948, the ownership of Khazana Buildings was passed on to the Indian Government. It was then allocated to the Indian Military to use this building to distribute the salary to its staff. At that time, an addition was made to the complex, a gabled section was constructed in the courtyard. During 1951-1952, the Khazana Building Museum was passed to the Department of Heritage Telangana. This was when the Khazana Building had become a Heritage Building with a changed shape and became a monument, as we see it today. The artefacts exhibited in the building today were added by the Department of Heritage Telangana.

Visitor Facilities
Clean drinking water and rest rooms are available. Seating arrangements are provided in the garden. Low price booklets and brochures are available.


Timings 10:30am AM to 5:00pm PM
closed on Fridays and Public Holidays

Restoration
May 16, 2016: Khazana building in Hyderabad turns into museum
The age-old Khazana building, once a treasury and royal arms of Qutb Shahi kings near Golconda and converted into a museum, finally gets a facelift.
The structures, which were in a dilapidated condition, have been restored to a large extent by Telangana State Archaeology and Museums Department after a six-month repair work.



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Shamsheer Kota

Shamsheer Kota is located in Golconda, Hyderabad district, Telangana State, India.

During the reign of Ibrahim Qutb Shah, royal arms and weaponry were stored in this building.

There are many historic monuments near Golconda fort of Hyderabad and one of them is Shamsheer Kotha monument which is located near Khazana Building on the main road from the Fateh Darwaza to Bala Hissar. There are series of rooms for storing arms and weapons and a masjid, constructed in Qutb Shahi style.

There is a large cannon on display at the entrance gate here that reflects the glory of historic era of Qutb Shahis who had ruled this region for nearly two centuries.
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Khursheed Jah Devdi

Khursheed Jah Devdi a beautiful two-story structure is a European styled architectural palace located on Government Degree College Rd, Murgi Chowk, Charminar, Hussaini Alam, Hyderabad, Telangana 500064, India

The palace, built by Paigah noble Nawab Fakhruddin, is European-styled and is considered as one of the best examples of Palladian architecture.  

Nawab Khursheed Jah Paigah was the maternal grandson of the third Nizam of Hyderabad. Khursheed Jah Baradari was his residence, near the Charminar. It is a gorgeous Palladian mansion with imposing pillars and a strikingly European design. While it is commonly referred to as a baradari (literally means having 12 doors) or a devdi (sort of like a haveli) it is counted as one of Hyderabad's best palaces.

The construction of the palace was started by Sir Khursheed Jah's grandfather, and completed by his father. It is said, that when the Paigah family lived in this palace, it was full of expensive furniture, chandeliers and paintings, and that the extensive grounds adjoining it, had immaculately kept gardens with fountains and little reservoirs. Apparently, in addition to the horses in his stables, Sir Khursheed Jah also kept ostriches!

Khursheed Jah Deroi was the Baradari of Nawab Khursheed Jah Bahadur (15 October 1914 – 3 August 1975). It was originally designed by Nawab Khurshid Jah Bahadur’s grandfather, Shams-ul-umara Amee-e-Kabir and was completed by his father – Rashiduddin Khan in the late 19th century. It houses the Hussaini Alam Government Girls College in the same compound.

Despite the name, Baradari which literally means 12 doors, the palace only has 5 doors. It is commonly known as Khursheed Jah Devdiin which Devdi means “Lord’s house”. The building which is influenced by European architecture, and is similar to Koti Women’s college which is was then knows as British Residency. The entrance has eight Corinthian pillars about 40 feet in height and the inside of the building has Elliptical arches and some areas have wooden flooring. The verandah has beautiful multi-colored floor tiles.

There used to be the Ishrat Mahal (courtroom) as a part of the same compound.

The playground which is under the government school right now, was actually a beautiful garden with Tara Hauz which is means star shaped fountain.
As you enter the building, you can well imagine how grand it would have been at the time when the Paigahs lived here.

Khurshid Jah Bahadur was born in Rang Mahal, Delhi the only son of Mirza Muhammad Fayazuddin. He was recognized as head of the Timurid Dynasty, in 1931 by the Government of India. He emigrated to Lahore in Pakistan following the independence of Pakistan in 1947.

He was married to Nawabzadi Arghwani Begum Sahiba (born 2 January 1920) and they had two sons and four daughters, with his eldest son succeeding him as head of the Timurid Dynasty on his death on 3 August 1975.

Restoration
Dec 30, 2022 : Khursheed Jah Devdi to be restored to original grandeur
Dec 31, 2022 : Though listed as a heritage monument, Khursheed Jah Devdi, situated just a kilometre away from Charminar, has been lying in neglect. 
Jan 30, 2023 : 138-year-old Khursheed Jah Devdi to morph into cultural space with Rs 12 crore facelift in Hyderabad
Jul 19, 2023 : Restoration works at Khursheed Jah Devdi finally begin





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Shaikpet Mosque and Sarai

Shaikpet Mosque and Sarai are located at distance of nearly 11 km from the centre of Hyderabad in Shaikpet, Hyderabad district, Telangana State, India.

The Sarai was built on the way to Bidar, capital of Barid Shahis, for the traders to halt at night, before obtaining permission to enter into the fort from Quiladar of Golconda Fort.

The Sarai complex was initiated by Ibrahim Qutb Shah (1550 – 1580 CE). The Sarai gradually came to provide amenities like sarai blocks, mosques, a tomb, stables for horses and camels and other minor structures. It is a typical, large caravan Sarai constructed in Qutub Shahi style of architecture consisting of a two storied building exclusively meant for traveller’s rest.

An inscription indicates that a larger part of the Sarai complex was built by Abdullah Qutb Shah in 1633 – 34 CE. Shelter for horses and camels was also added to the Sarai towards southern side.

The sarai had 30 rooms, stables for horses and camels, a mosque and a tomb of an unknown Sufi saint. It could accommodate 500 people.

The terrain around Golconda and its traverse formed the basis of an important trade route from Ahmednagar. It passed Bidar, Patancheru, Golconda and on- wards to Machilipattnam on the east coast. By its side lay the dargah of Hazrat Syed Hussain Shah Wali - a revered Sufi saint during the reign of the Qutb Shahi dynasty and descendant of Khwaja Banda Nawaz (Gesu Daraz) - the most influential Sufi saint of the Chisti order in South India. Hazrat Syed Hus- sain Shah Wali is credited with building the Hussain Sagar Tank at Hyderabad (1562), which served as a water reservoir for the city till the 1920s.

Renovation
October 26, 2017: Crumbling Shaikpet Sarai & mosque crave attention
April 28, 2018: Broken and cracked: Shaikpet mosque, a protected mosque now in shambles
March 25, 2021 : One of the oldest mosques of Qutub Shahi era and an archaeological grandeur is slowly giving away to the sands of time in Hyderabad. 
The centuries-old mosque, which once housed hundreds of worshipers, has been neglected by authorities.

Recent conservation works by Government of Telangana included structural restoration and protection from encroachments.
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Akkana Sarai

Akkana Sarai is located in Maisaram, Maheswaram, Rangareddy district, Telangana State, India.

Akkana's Sarai is a square shaped sarai dedicated to Akkana, a senior officer who served the Qutb Shahi Empire from 1674 CE to 1686 CE. It is surrounded by a huge compound wall with built-in cubicles facing inner side of the compound, which was probably used as rest house. There is a palatial building situated in the middle. There is another pillared structure, probably used as meeting hall. The compound wall consists of some cubicles near the gate, constructed on the outer side. A small Hindu temple is also present on the first floor of the square shaped Sarai enclosure.

There is a huge compound wall, constructed as a supporting back wall with large number of cubicles present in the sarai. Some cubicles are much bigger in size, provided with small niches, some cubicles are smaller in size and these rest rooms are provided in the masjid area also. Some of the rest rooms are constructed like dormitory places. All these structures are constructed on huge rocky pillars and even the roof is made with huge stone slabs. It is a huge resting place designed as cubicles, dormitory and open verandah and the total resting place is supported by huge stone pillars built as per the Hindu art and architecture. The floral designs are also observed on the walls and roof and also on the pillars. The pillars are quadrangle in shape.

Madanna and Akkanna were two Brahmin brothers who rose to prominence in the 17th-century in the final two decades of the Golkonda sultanate. Madanna started as a clerk with the Golconda Sultanate and moved higher up through talent. At some point Madanna and Akkanna came into the service of Sayyid Muzaffar a nobleman of Persian descent. After sometime Sayyid Muzaffar had brought bul Hasan Qutb Shah  to the throne. He made them responsible for collecting jizya taxes from the Hindus predominant part of the Sultanate's population. Then official Madanna and brother locked him up in his house and took over the charge of the treasury. As a treasurer Madanna became more and more powerful until he practically ruled the Sultanate in all but name till his death assisted by his brother Akkanna and his nephew Rustam Rao. Akkanna was appointed General of the Army not so much to conduct military operations, but more to keep it from waging war.

By the 1680s, according to the colonial era Dutch India archives, they controlled all the tax collection and the exchequer of the Golkonda Sultanate. According to Gijs Kruijtzer – a historian specializing in Deccan Sultanates, the Madanna and Akkanna brothers can be viewed as early "nationalists" seeking the welfare of their people and the general public. They can also be viewed as "communalists" who criticized the Muslim elites as exploitative who do not care about non-Muslims, who serve the interest of their holy land in Arabia, and seek personal gain. The two brothers spent the taxes they collected in Golconda on the "welfare of the public", states Kruijtzer, which included furthering trade with the colonial Dutch, building public sarai (resting place for travelers), as well as restoring and building temples. Their remarkable rise to power and public priorities in the Golconda Sultanate, whose elite predominantly were Muslims, became a folklore among the Hindus. Muslims reached out to Aurangzeb, who in 1683 sent his army to attack Golconda Sultanate. The brothers attempted for peace with a deal to pay a large annual tribute to the Mughal empire. In 1685, Aurangzeb sent a regiment led by his son to end Golconda Sultanate, absorb it into the Mughal empire. This time the Mughal army captured and beheaded Madanna and Akkanna. The two brothers remain popular among the Hindus in the modern era Telangana, with many monuments named after them. They were also the maternal uncles of the popular Bhakti saint Bhadrachala Ramadasu.

Restoration
Oct 20, 2009: The Department of Archaeology and Museums is all set to renovate the erstwhile group of temples -- Maheshwara, Kondandarama, Rajarajeshwara and Rajarajeshwari of Maheshwram in Rangareddy district which was believed to be built by Akkanna and Madanna, Ministers in the court of Abdul Hasan Tanisha, the last ruler of the Qutub Shahi dynasty.

Feb 1, 2011:From being a popular place of worship in the 17th century, the Akkanna Madanna sarai has now turned into an abandoned and dilapidated structure, waiting to crumble any moment. 

Sep 1, 2023: The State government is initiating measures for beautification and restoration of the historic Akkanna Sarai


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Premamati Mosque

The Premamati Mosque stands on a hillock overlooking the Taramati Baradari is located in Mohammad Nagar, Golconda (Mandal), Hyderabad district, Telanagan State, India.

The mosque was built around 1625 CE and it was attributed to Prema mati a famed courtesan during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah and Sultan Abdullah Qutb Shah.

According to department deputy director Mohd Raheem Shah Ali, the mosque was presumably built for the courtesan and others to offer namaaz during a break from song-and-dance sessions at the Taramati Baradari.

The mosque with intricate work has five arches and does not have minarets.

Bilgrami, in his book ‘Landmarks of the Deccan’, associated the Baradari and the mosque with both Taramati and Premamati. Tombs of both the courtesans are seen near the Qutb Shahi Tombs.

The arches are supported by piers, which have a band of mouldings at the top. This is reminiscent of Hindu temples, such as the Ramappa Temple. The elaborately carved chajjas above the arches also display Hindu influences.

The facade is flanked by two semi-decagonal minarets, which are incomplete.The roof consists of ten flat domes which are not visible from below.

The mosque is incomplete as there is no parapet wall and no kiosks above the minarets.

Restoration
Premamati masjid, a deserted mosque on a hillock overlooking the Taramati Baradari on the way to Gandipet, it is getting a facelift from the Telangana department of archaeology and museums.


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Mian Mishk Mahal

 Mian Mishk Mahal is located in Attapur, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India.  In the area between Golconda and Purana Pul, at a tranquil and deserted place, stands “Mushk Mahal”

In 1678, the palace was constructed by Miyan Malik Mishk, a commander of the Carnatic Forces of Abul Hassan Tana Shah, the last of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. In it’s time, it was a grand three-storied garden pavilion with waterways and gardens spread over a 10-acre area from where one could see the Golconda fort on one side, Musi river on another and the emblematic Charminar from another.

Attapur is an old locality on the right bank of Musi, before Charminar. While one road is dotted with ancient temples, nothing much remains of the other old structures that would have existed in the area — except a grand palace complex whose hulk can still be seen once you enter the inner lanes on the left side of the main road. Surrounded by tall grass, the grandeur of the building can still be evidenced from the shape of the balcony or the staircase. This is the Miyan Mishk Mahal built by an African soldier in the employ of Abul Hasan, the last ruler of Qutb Shahi dynasty.

A few kilometres away, in the Malakpet area of the city, is another grand old structure. A building in ruins that has virtually been boxed in by a housing complex built by the Andhra Pradesh Housing Board. This is the Mahbub Mansion built by the sixth Nizam Mahbub Ali Khan.  

Need of Renovation
24 June, 2018: GHMC to the rescue.The fate of Miyan Mishk Mahal, in Attapur seemed to be like that of scores of historical monuments in the city. Years of neglect by successive governments and encroachments eating up their spaces, the building lies in a sad state of ruin.However, things on Saturday offered a glimmer of hope to heritage activists in the city. Hours after activists took to Twitter to complain about the dumping of sewage on the property of the Qutub Shahi era palace, the state government sprung into action and cleared the area.
March 1, 2021: Hyderabad’s 300-year-old Mushk Mahal needs urgent attention
Stones are used as a cornice for the roof of the first floor projected with brackets which are in a better shape. The inner walls are damaged. The central portion distinct with an octagonal drum shape lost its sheen. The upper portion typically reflects the architectural style of the Qutub Shah. Two rows with Arches façade jutting out is attractive.

The top of the structure, designed to lead to Zenana (ladies) toilet is seven meters high with a large balcony and a stair case leading to the roof opening. The ground floor has large bedrooms with low walls that are probably used as resting chambers. 

According to the Department of Archaeology, this monument had a beautiful garden with a fountain in front which has now disappeared. While the first floor is relatively in a better shape, the other parts have lost their luster and are in ruins. 
Nov 17, 2021: Do we transform a 300-year-old building into a heritage site or do we let it be used as a thunder seat by the neighbourhood
Jan 13, 2022: Miyan Mishk Mahal is a picture of neglect


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