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{{short description|Mosque in Hyderabad, Telangana, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name = Premamati Mosque <br/>{{small|(Qutb Shahi Masjid)}}
| native_name = प्रेमामति मस्जिद / مسجد بريما ماتي
| native_name_lang = Hindi / Arabic
| image = Premamati Mosque, Hyderabad.png
| image_upright = 1.4
| alt =
| caption = The five-arched facade of the Premamati Mosque, in {{circa|1924}}
| coordinates = {{coord|17|22|46.1|N|78|22|46.7|E|region:IN-TG_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| map_type = India Hyderabad
| map_size = 250
| map_alt =
| map_relief = 1
| map_caption = Location of the mosque in [[Hyderabad]]
| location = Ibrahim Bagh, [[Hyderabad]], [[Telangana]]
| country = [[India]]
| religious_affiliation = [[Sunni Islam]]
| status = {{nowrap|[[Congregational mosque]]}}
| functional_status = Active
| architecture_type = [[Mosque]]
| architecture_style = [[Qutb Shahi architecture|Qutb Shahi]]
| founded_by = [[Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah]]
| established = {{start date and age| 1560}}
| year_completed = {{start date and age| 1610}}
| height_max = 38 feet (12 metres)
| dome_quantity = 10
| minaret_quantity = 2
| materials = Pink [[granite]]
}}

The '''Premamati Mosque''' (also known as Pema Mati Mosque, Ibrahim Bagh Mosque, or Qutb Shahi Masjid) is a 16th-century [[mosque]] located in the Ibrahim Bagh area of [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], India.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=2016-01-31 |title=Telangana courts Premamati |work=[[Deccan Chronicle]] |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/310116/telangana-courts-premamati.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Nayeem |first=M. A. |title=The Heritage of the Qutb Shahis of Golconda and Hyderabad |year=2006 |pages=175}}</ref> Built during the reign of [[Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah Wali|Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah]], it is historically significant as the architectural precursor to the grand [[Makkah Masjid, Hyderabad|Makkah Masjid]] and for its role in the aborted [[History of Hyderabad|urban planning]] of the [[Sultanate of Golconda|Golconda Sultanate]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Moin |first=Ather |date=2018-10-08 |title=Ibrahim Bagh mosque is Macca Masjid model {{!}} Ibrahim Bagh mosque is Macca Masjid model |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/081018/ibrahim-bagh-mosque-is-macca-masjid-model.html |access-date=2026-03-21 |website=www.deccanchronicle.com |language=en}}</ref>

In 2014, [[UNESCO]] placed the mosque on its "tentative list" to become a [[World Heritage Site]], with others in the region, under the name [[Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Centre |first=UNESCO World Heritage |title=The Qutb Shahi Monuments of Hyderabad Golconda Fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Charminar |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5573/ |access-date=2026-03-21 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en}}</ref>

== History ==
The mosque was commissioned during the reign of [[Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah Wali|Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah]] (r. 1550–1580). It was originally intended to serve as the [[Congregational mosque|Jama Masjid]] (congregational mosque) for a new city planned in the Ibrahim Bagh area, west of [[Golconda|Golconda Fort]].<ref name=":1" /> However, the plan for the new city was abandoned due to the lack of a sustainable water source. This eventually led his successor, [[Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah]], to establish the city of [[Hyderabad]] further east on the banks of the [[Musi River (India)|Musi River]] in 1591.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Yazdani |first=Ghulam |title=Report of the Archaeological Department of His Exalted Highness The Nizam's Dominions, 1334 F. |url=https://ignca.gov.in/Asi_data/15317.pdf |publisher=Baptist Mission Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |title=Ibrahim Bagh ki Masjid |url=https://www.theislamicheritage.com/detail/Ibrahim-bagh-ki-masjid-# |journal=Indian Islamic Heritage |via=Morgan Publishing House Inc}}</ref>

While the primary structure of the mosque was built in the 1560s, the mosque remained in a state of semi-completion for decades as the new city of Hyderabad was being built a few kilometres away. It was not until the early 17th century that the mosque was finalised for use, when it was completed to serve as a scaled-down prototype of the monumental [[Makkah Masjid, Hyderabad|Makkah Masjid]] whose construction started in 1617. The royal [[Architect|architects]] used the Ibrahim Bagh site to test the structural integrity of massive [[granite]] [[Arch|arches]] and vast, dome-less [[Vault (architecture)|vaulted ceilings]] before committing resources to the much larger Makkah Masjid project in the city center of Hyderabad.<ref name=":1" />

[[File:Mecca Masjid Hyderabad.JPG|alt=Makkah Masjid in Hyderabad which shares a nearly identical design|thumb|277x277px| Architecture of the much larger [[Makkah Masjid, Hyderabad|Mecca Masjid]] (Makkah Masjid) in Hyderabad is nearly identical to that of the Premamati Mosque. The Mecca Masjid started construction in 1617, during the reign of [[Muhammad Qutb Shah]], and was completed by [[Aurangzeb]] in 1694.]]The mosque was renovated by the Telangana Department of Archaeology and Museums in 2016 at an expense of Rs. 50 lakhs. The renovation included repairs to the roof, platform, and cellar, and the installation of lights to illuminate the mosque’s facade at night.<ref name=":3" />
[[File:Premavati Mosque at night.jpg|alt=image of the mosque at night|thumb|277x277px|Premamati Mosque’s western facade (rear) at night]]

== Etymology ==
The mosque is commonly associated with Premamati (or Pema Mati), a [[Hindus|Hindu]] [[Royal consort|consort]] of the seventh Qutb Shahi Sultan, [[Abdullah Qutb Shah]] (r. 1626–1672).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-04-14/hyderabad/27118330_1_qutub-golconda-monument|title=Heritage village near Golconda - Times of India|website=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=13 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829174832/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-04-14/hyderabad/27118330_1_qutub-golconda-monument|archive-date=29 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to local folklore, the structure was frequented by the Sultan and his consort and thereby it came to be known as the Premamati Mosque. Upon her death in 1662, Premamati was buried in a dedicated mausoleum within the [[Qutb Shahi tombs|Qutb Shahi Tombs]] complex {{convert|1.5|km|mi|0|abbr=off}} away, with the phrase "''Pema Mati was verily a rose of Paradise from Eternity''" carved in [[Arabic]] on her grave.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Chakravorty |first=Pallabi |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=3nRUDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PT25&pg=PT24#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Dance Matters Too: Markets, Memories, Identities |last2=Gupta |first2=Nilanjana |date=2018-02-02 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-351-11616-9 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File: Taramati and Premavati Tombs 04.jpg|alt=Tombs of Taramati (left) and Premavati (right) at the Qutb Shahi Tombs complex|thumb|277x277px| Tombs of Taramati (left) and Premamati (right) at the [[Qutb Shahi Tombs]] complex]]

While the romantic story of the Sultan's devotion to his consort is deeply rooted in Hyderabad's [[oral history]], there is a lack of contemporary [[Historical method|literary evidence]] or [[Epigraphy|inscriptions]] on the building to definitively confirm her connection to the mosque itself.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web | url=https://cultureincrisis.org/projects/conservation-of-the-17th-century-tombs-of-taramati-and-premamati-in-hyderabad | title=Conservation of the 17th-Century Tombs of Taramati and Premamati in Hyderabad}}</ref> The association relies largely on the mosque's proximity to other structures linked to the Sultan's consorts, such as the [[Taramati Baradari|Baradari of Tara Mati]].<ref name=":2">{{cite news |last1=Mukherjee |first1=Kakoli |title=Resting places of Taramati & Premamati restored |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2020/Mar/11/resting-places-of-taramati--premamati-restored-2115034.html |access-date=10 September 2024 |work=The New Indian Express |date=March 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Afreen |first=Saima |date=2020-02-27 |title=Of finding bhagmati in History |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/hyderabad/2020/Feb/26/of-finding-bhagmati-in-history-2108977.html |access-date=2026-03-24 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/restoring-lost-glory-of-premamatis-tomb/article31034575.ece | title=Restoring lost glory of Premamati's tomb| website=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>
[[File:Taramati Baradari 1924.jpg|alt=Old photograph of Taramati Baradari|thumb|277x277px| View of [[Taramati Baradari]] from the hilltop Premamati Mosque, photographed in 1924]]

== Architecture ==
The mosque is situated on a rocky hillock along the [[Osman Sagar|Osman Sagar Road]]. The mosque complex is spread over an area of 11 acres, which includes a narrow pedestrian path leading uphill to the mosque.

[[File: Interior of Pema Mati Mosque, 1924.jpg|alt=Interiors of the mosque|thumb|277x277px|The vaulted ceiling, domes, and Gothic columns of the mosque, photographed in 1924]]
* '''Terrace and Layout''': The structure sits on a nearly square elevated terrace, measuring {{convert|143|ft|m|0|abbr=off}} on each side. The mosque itself occupies the western end of this terrace.<ref name=":0" />
* '''Facade''': The eastern [[hall]] features a screen of five [[Arch|arches]] supported by [[Pier (architecture)|carved piers]], as is typical of [[Qutb Shahi architecture|Qutb Shahi]] mosques. These piers are decorated with a distinct band of mouldings and a "frizzle" design reminiscent of [[Kakatiya architecture|medieval Hindu architectural styles]], specifically those found at the [[Ramappa Temple]] and the [[Aundha Nagnath Temple]].<ref name=":0" />
* '''Roof and Domes''': A unique feature of the mosque is its roof, which contains ten flat [[Dome|domes]]. These domes are "buried" within the thickness of the roof and are not visible from the exterior, giving the building a flat-topped appearance.<ref name=":0" />
* '''Interior''': The interior is described as having a "[[Gothic architecture|Gothic]]" feel due to the lofty piers and [[Fluting (architecture)|circular flutings]]. The [[Mihrab]] (prayer niche) is located in the center of the west wall and consists of a rectangular [[Vestibule (architecture)|ante-chamber]] with a [[Vault (architecture)|vaulted ceiling]] and walls decorated with incised [[plaster]] arches.<ref name=":0" />
* '''Minarets''': The hall is flanked by two semi-decagonal [[Minaret|minarets]] which do not rise beyond the height of the roof.<ref name=":0" />

[[File: Floor Plan of Pema Mati Mosque in Ibrahim Bagh Hyderabad.jpg|alt=floor plan of the mosque|thumb|277x277px|Floor plan of the mosque]]

Premamati Mosque's architecture departs from the typical [[Islamic architecture|architectural style of a mosque]] in several ways. The structure appears incomplete for a mosque because it lacks the traditional kiosks ([[Chhatri|chhatris]]) atop its [[Minaret|minars]] and a finished carved parapet above the [[eaves]] ([[chhajja]]). The lack of chhatris makes the building appear flat-topped, which is very atypical for mosques which are easily recognisable by their tall, rising minars. Although the Premamati Mosque served as a [[prototype]] for the [[Makkah Masjid, Hyderabad|Makkah Masjid]] (whose alignment towards the [[Qibla]] is considered mathematically perfect for its time), the Premamati Mosque sits at a slightly different angle.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

The total height of the structure, from the terrace pavement to the [[chhajja]] stones, is {{convert|38|ft|m|0|abbr=off}}.

== Gallery ==

[[File:Ibrahim Bagh Pema Mati Mosque.jpg|alt=image of the mosque|thumb|277x277px|Premamati Mosque viewed from the west]]
{{Wide image|File:Panoramic view of Pema Mati Mosque in Ibrahim Bagh.jpg|720px|alt=Panoramic view of the mosque|[[panorama|Panoramic]] view of the western facade of the Premamati Mosque}}

== See also ==
{{stack|{{portal|Islam|Hyderabad}}}}

* [[Taramati Baradari]]
* [[Qutb Shahi tombs|Qutb Shahi Tombs]]
* [[Islam in India]]
* [[List of mosques in Telangana]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Mosques in India}}
{{Qutb Shahi monuments}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mosque, Premamati}}
[[Category:16th-century mosques in India]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with domes in India]]
[[Category:Mosque buildings with minarets in India]]
[[Category:Mosques in Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Qutb Shahi architecture]]
[[Category:Indo-Islamic mosques]]

Premamati Mosque - Revision history

RayfordFvx: Added some entry nd citations...