Makkah Masjid

Makkah Masjid, is one of the oldest mosques in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, And it is one of the largest Mosques in India. Makkah Masjid is a scheduled heritage building in the old city of Hyderabad, close to the historic landmarks Charminar.
Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, custom-built bricks to be made from the soil brought from Mecca, the holiest site of Islam, and used them in the construction of the central arch of the mosque, thus giving the mosque name Makkah Masjid.   

Makkah Masjid, Hyderabad

The main hall of the Masjid is 75 feet high, 220 feet wide and 180 feet long, enough to provide somewhere to stay 10,000 worshipers at a time. Fifteen arches support the roof of the main hall, five on each of the three sides. A wall rises on the fourth side to provide Mihrab.
The contents from  the Holy Quran are shown on the arches of the Mecca Masjid. There is a pond with seating arrangements, near the mosque. One can spend a quiet moment here. It is supposed that if any one  sit on these benches, he will surely come back to Hyderabad. There is a room in the courtyard of the mosque in which there are holy mementos from the past. It is believed that the hair of Prophet Mohammed is kept here.

The Makkah Masjid is a listed heritage building, however, due to lack of maintenance and growing pollution has withered and cracked the structure. It received a chemical wash in 1995. To prevent further damage, the Andhra Pradesh government made Charminar a traffic-free zone in August 2001.