Monday, September 3, 2007

Qutb Tombs - Hyderabad

The Royal Cemetery of the early kings of Hyderabad is located nearby the Golconda Fort, some 15 km outside of the present day city center. The tombs have mostly Persian-influenced architecture, since these rulers were all of Muslim origin from the northern borders of present day India. As in most Mughal era structures, there is an inclusion of Hindu styles and motifs as well.

Our visit to the tombs was a suprise hit - we were expecting it to be a fairly quick visit for a few snapshots. We were pleasantly suprised at the quiet setting, well-manicured landscaping, and the impressively large tombs built for these mideval era rulers (almost like a scaled version of the pyramids). Did I mention quiet? I can't stress enough what an arresting sensation India can be for a newcomer - the sheer magnitude of its population and incredible rate of growth and development make India the noisiest place I have ever been by far. It is never quiet here - so this respite from the street din was most welcome.

The boys made friends, as usual, so we meandered through the quiet gardens, views of the city below, fountains, and baths.

It was a great way to end the day.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Mr. Kaplo, that picture of Evan is perhaps the coolest thing I have ever seen. We miss you dearly. School just isn't the same without big, strong Mr. Kaplo telling us his navy stories. Jared's suffering from extreme Kaplo withdrawls. I caught him the other day drawing weird pictures of you with a t-rex suit on.

xoxo Jay Vance

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