Ansari visits Quli Qutb Shahi Tombs complex in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Vice President Hamid Ansari along with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor E S L Narasimhan today visited the historic Quli Qutb Shahi Tombs complex here and enquired about the architecture and significance of the monuments.

Ansari asked the Telangana government and Aga Khan foundation to explore the possibility of attracting tourists to this spot as these structures do not find required recognition on tourism map, an official release said.

A project for restoration of the over 400-year-old tombs complex started in 2013 after the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) signed a memorandum of understanding with Telangana state department of archaeology and museums.

AKTC Project Director Ratish Nanda said there exist 75 structures, including 23 mosques spread over in 108 acres of land.

These monuments are popularly known as seven tombs and built in Iranian architecture style. The restoration works taken up by AKTC at a cost of Rs 100 crore would be completed in a span of 10 years, he added.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Md Mahamood Ali, Tourism Secretary B Venkatesham and other senior officials were also present.

Ansari, who was on two-day visit to Hyderabad had arrived yesterday and addressed the national seminar on ‘Public Investment and Subsidies on Agriculture and Upliftment of Agrarian Economy’. He left for Delhi later today.

–PTI