“This is my second encounter with the architecture of India and it’s simply breathtaking. I didn’t expect anything of this sort,” said Karen Stoll, German Consul-General, clearly surprised by the sublime monuments at the Qutb Shahi tombs complex.
Ms. Stoll spoke at the ceremony to mark the completion of work on Hakims’ and Commander’s tomb at the Qutb Shahi tombs complex near Golconda Fort on Friday morning.
Conservation work
The conservation work on the three tombs was supported under the Cultural Preservation Programme of Federal Republic of Germany. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture is carrying out the conservation work from 2013.
“This effort is very important. It suits the city very well as it has a vast heritage dating back to hundreds of years. The city is already known for its IT sector and now it has a very interesting eco-system,” said Ms. Stoll, who spoke about how the FDR’s cultural programme works and how it helps in creating a dialogue with partner countries contributing to tolerance and harmonious living.
Burra Venkatesham, Secretary, Government of Telangana, who presided over the function, made an appeal to citizens to have a long-term perspective.
“Many of our heritage sites in the city are encroached or occupied. They benefit only a few people. But if conservation work is allowed to go on, it will bring in millions of tourists. Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia get lakhs of tourists, but a few years earlier, the site was hardly known outside a limited circle. So many people have got employment because of the heritage site in Cambodia. The same can happen in Hyderabad,” said Mr. Venkatesham.