The Spanish masjid was built by the Paigah noble, Sir Vikhar-ul-Umra Iqbal-ud-Dowla, in 1906. The masjid is also called Spanish mosque, Jamia masjid Aiwan or Masjid Iqbal Ud Daula.
It is the only one of its kind in not only Hyderabad but in India, with pointed arches, a pointed main roof composed of two truncated octagonal pyramids placed one above the other intervened by octagonal domes. The minarets aesthetically placed at corners of the parapet are in the same style and very unusual from those seen in other mosques in the city and elsewhere.
The Spanish Mosque is a declared heritage site by ASI. The minarets were painted with different colours after its construction. It can house nearly 3000 devotees.
Some unscrupulous elements used detonators for demolishing activities violating rules of heritage structures. It was stopped after the devotees objected to it but cracks developed in the minarets. Shashidhar Reddy MLA Vice chairman national disaster management intervened into the matter and registered case against developers and contractors.
However a visit to the masjid revealed that excavation is still continued at a distance of 10 feet from the mosque. Thanks to the criminal negligence of HUMDA, GHMC and archaeological department cracks appeared in the minarets and arches of the over 100-year-old Spanish mosque due to blasting activity near the heritage monument.
Siasat news