Mecca Masjid

Makkah Masjid or Mecca Masjid, is a congregational mosque in Hyderabad, India. It is one of the largest mosques in India with a capacity of 20,000. The mosque was built between the 16th and 17th centuries, and is a state-protected monument situated in the heart of the old city of Hyderabad, close to the historic landmarks of Charminar, Chowmahalla Palace and Laad Bazaar. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, commissioned 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 its name. It formed the centerpiece around which the city was planned by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah.