Transporting a magnificent edifice back to the 17th century

Telangana government has undertaken a collaborative effort to restore the 400-year-old Qutb Shahi tomb.

Like all rulers of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth king and founder of Hyderabad, also built his tomb when he was alive. Having ascended the throne at the age of 14, he is believed to have died at the age of 46 in the year 1612. The magnificent edifice where he was laid to rest is perhaps a fitting tribute to his life.

Extensive damage

While time did take a toll on the 400-year old tomb, a lot of modern interventions damaged the original construction.

Anyone who has seen the towering structure in the past will remember the yellowish and black colour of the tomb’s dome and walls, which is in complete contrast to its present white demeanour, thanks to restoration work on it which began last year.

But what emerged during its restoration will shock any heritage lover. The tomb was covered in five to six inches of cement and the 16 century decorative stucco plaster on the roof level of the structure was lost.

The damage is being undone, thanks to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is restoring the edifice to its glory in collaboration with the Telangana Department of Archaeology and Museums. The project is being funded by the Tata Trust.

“The entire cement layer from the dome has been removed and re-plastered with lime mortar. In fact, deep holes of about four to five feet were also dug in the dome for scaffolding when cement was applied,” pointed out Yoshowanth, one of the architects from the AKTC who is working on the project, being funded by the Tata Trusts.

Use of archival images

A close look at this particular edifice, which is the largest at 48.10 metres in height, shows how much of its originality has been lost in 400 years.

The restoration is being done using archival images from the early 1860s, which were taken by the Alkazi Foundation.

One of the major work being undertaken presently is to restore the parapet stones, which will soon be erected across the tomb. “There were yellow railings before. Thanks to the images we could see that these parapet stones were there before,” said Yoshowanth, and added that so far 80 of the 150 stones are ready.

What makes the tomb unique is also its use of finished granite.

Mr. Yoshowanth said Mohammed Quli Qutb’s tomb was the only one wherein the crypt area was accessible.