Spanish Mosque to welcome all on

Rasoolpura: People who have crossed the Jam-e -masjid Aiwan e Begumpet or The Spanish Mosque and wondered how it would be inside, have now a chance to walk in and get a guided tour on Independence Day.

The programme will start from 11am and go on till 7 pm and the visitors can witness three prayer congregations afternoon / Zohar evening / ASR and after Sunset / magrib. The Visitors men and women of all religious faiths are welcome and refreshments will also be served. The mosque was built in 1896 by His Excellency Nawab Sir Vicarul Umra,the then prime minister of Hyderabad and Ameer-e-Paigah.

Spanish mosque, one of its kind in architectural was completely new to Hyderabad as it was built on Seljuk architecture, which existed before the Ottomans in Spain. Inside the mosque, we see northwest African influence, which is reflected in Hispanic, Tunis, and Moroccan architecture, popularly called western Islamic architecture. The arches inside are of Hispanic Islamic architecture, again an influence from North Africa.

We see this feature in Qurtuba mosque and other mosques in Africa. Such mosques are not seen even in Middle East or in India

The walls are scripted with Qur’anic verses in floresque Kufi style of Arabic calligraphy. The mosque was within the compound of the Begumpet or Paigah Palace. The mosque was marble-white, standing tall amidst lush green open lands all around, radiating an aura of spirituality and peace in olden times.
He was also impressed by the beautiful Moorish influence in Spain and decided to build the Spanish mosque.