Hyderabad: A Qutb Shahi monument Shaikpet Sarai will be restored for adaptive reuse under the aegis of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and National Institute of Urban Management (NIUM) by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Special Chief Secretary of Urban Development Arvind Kumar tweeted on Monday.
Shaikpet Sarai is the latest monument to be added to the list of heritage structures being restored by the Telangana government.
The authorities recently announced that Saidani-Ma Tomb, Sardar Mahal, Mir Alam Mandi, and Mahaboob Chowk Market (Murghi Chowk) will be restored.
Officials say that the restoration of monuments and heritage structures will further strengthen the case of Hyderabad for the UNESCO world heritage tag.
Shaikpet Sarai
The Shaikpet Sarai is the resthouse in Hyderabad. It is a heritage structure that needs restoration.
Built by Abdullah Qutb Shah in the 17th century, the Sarai has 30 rooms, stables for horses and camels, a mosque, and a tomb.
Located a few kilometers away from Golconda Fort, the Shaikpet Sarai can accommodate 500 people. It was built for traders who used to visit Hyderabad from across the world.
Saidani-Ma Tomb to be restored by Aga Khan Trust
Recently, it was announced that HMDA will restore Saidani-Ma Tomb near Hussain Sagar in the heart of the city through Aga Khan Trust.
The tomb of Saidani-Ma was built in the 1880s by her son Sardar Abdul Haq Diler Jung, who was the home secretary of erstwhile Hyderabad State and also served as the director of the Nizam’s State Railways.
Located on the north side of the Tank Bund road, the tomb has been a victim of neglect for decades and a part of its land has also been encroached. There have been demands from heritage activists to save the tomb which has an onion-shaped dome on an octagonal base.
While the arches on the upper chamber of the monument reflect Qutb Shahi architecture, the ground floor arches are built in the Mughal style.
