The Seven Tombs are among the major tourist attractions of Hyderabad. Thousands of tourists visit the domes of Qutub Shahi kings and this place if also rented for shooting of films. The local residents have often complained of descretion of the historic place.
It may now sound strange, but the same place was considered pious and had some special privileges. “These domes of Golconda Kings were held in such veneration that whenever any criminal took refuge there, he was given amnesty and during the Qutub Shahi period, the tombs were always furnished with expensive carpets and lamps and a number of Qurans were kept on supports, which were recited by the readers at appointed intervals,” says Syed Ali Asgar Bilgrami in his book Landmarks Of The Deccan published in 1927.
He also mentioned that the domes of ruling kings were distinguished by spires of golden crescent fixed above the centre of the dome and those of other members of the family and of Khaja-Sara’s had no such sign and were built on comparatively lower terraces. In those days, it was not possible for every person to have access to those tombs.
In the Qutub Shahi days, this place was called “Langar-e-Faiz Athar” where the poor were entertained after afternoon and this custom of entertaining the poor in this place was also observed during the lifetime of Sultan Quli.
Sir Salar Jung took several measures for the conservation of the tombs. A nice garden and a compound wall were built around the tombs. A guard was also posted at the main gate. The maintenance of the tombs was assigned to the Sarf-i-Khas during the Asaf Jahi regime.
The first dome was constructed by Sultan Quli during his life time for his own internment according to the prevalent custom. It is situated on an elevated terrace, 100 ft, each way, and internally it is octagonal and the inner dimensions of the hall are 30 ft 10 inches each way. It is crowned by a circular dome and externally, on account of the terrace, it appears to be a square building, the alls of the basement storey being 20 ft high.
This dome also contains three graves and on the outside terrace 21 graves of polished black basalt, all uninscribed are situated.
According to the Tarikhe Qutubshahi, Sultan Quli was assassinated in his ninety-ninth year. His heir-apparent Yar Kuli Jamshed is believed to have instigated Mir Mahmud Hamadani, the Qiladar, to murder the king. According to Tarikhe Zufra, the Qiladar inflicted 23 wounds on the king while he was engaged in Asr prayers. There is an inscription on his tomb that describes him as “shaheed” (martyr).