Hyderabad: 400-year-old masjid in Shaikhpet is in the state of decay, thanks to the negligence of authorities. The minarets of heritage structure are broken and the mortar is falling off from several places. The whole structure is overshadowed by the trees. The masjid is not open for public. Its gates have been closed since years. And no one is looking after it.
Prof. Salma Ahmed Farooqui of Maulana Azad University has wondered that no one has knowledge about the masjid and no one has done research on it. She expressed surprise that even the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has no information about the masjid.
The present caretakers of the masjid told that the masjid has not been restored due to controversies. According to them, a boundary wall was constructed in 2008. They had planned to restore the masjid in 2015 but the locals want to offer prayers; while other people have objection over it, they have lodged a complaint with the police after which the masjid was not touched. Now its compound has become a dumping ground.