About Mecca Masjid
Location: Hyderabad city, near Charminar.
How to Reach: Local Transport within Hyderabad.
Main Attraction: Magnificent architecture, biggest
in Hyderabad.
Mecca Masjid is the oldest and the biggest of the mosques situated in
Hyderabad city. About 10,000 people can offer prayers in this mosque
at a time. It is said that Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah began the construction
of the Masjid in 1617 but the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb completed the
construction in 1694. The Mecca Masjid of Hyderabad is located just
100 yards away from the famous and historic Charminar. The name of the
mosque has an interesting short story behind it. It is believed that
some bricks were brought from Mecca and inserted in the walls of its
main arch. Hence it came to be known as Mecca Masjid. There are fifteen
arches that support the hall of the mosque. Three walls of the great
hall have five arches each. This huge hall is 75 feet high, 220 feet
wide and 180 feet long. No wonder it can accommodate about 10,000 people
at a time during worship. It is said that about 8000 workers had been
employed to construct this grand mosque. The mosque took 77 years to
be completed.
Innumerable sermons from the Quran (the holy book of Muslims) have
been intricately depicted on the arches of the Mecca Masjid. You can
have a quiet and serene moment with yourself near the man made pond,
which has soothing blue water. There are seating arrangements at the
edges of the pond and it is believed that if a visitor sits on it, the
person will surely visit Hyderabad again. There is a room in the courtyard
of the mosque that stores ancient and holy relics. It is believed to
contain the hair of Prophet Mohammed.
North
India States
