For most Hyderabadis, the city’s history is told through landmarks that still stand tall, such as Charminar, Golconda Fort and the Qutb Shahi Tombs. For artist Musa Khan, however, some of the most fascinating stories belong to monuments that no longer exist. Through his exhibition The Lost Legends of Hyderabad, held at Safdaria Girls High School in Humayun Nagar, he invited visitors to travel back in time and imagine the grandeur of palaces and structures that have vanished from the city’s landscape.
Explaining the title, Musa says, “When I say the word legend, the first thing that comes to anyone’s mind would be something unique, out of this world. Keeping in mind this layman’s definition, the exhibition was titled. Showing how grand and unique these palaces and structures were when they used to exist during the era, and how these legends have faded or been lost in time.”
The exhibition reflects his interest in exploring themes that remain largely undocumented and unexplored. “The Qutb Shahi dynasty, one of the Deccan’s richest and most advanced dynasties, built many palaces across the city, including Khudadad Mahal, Hina Mahal, Nadi Mahal and the Navratan Mahal complex. Today, these palaces survive only in a few records and texts. Khudadad Mahal particularly caught my attention, and it led me to research these lost palaces and structures. Using existing descriptions and Qutb Shahi dynasty architecture, I reimagined them and held an exhibition, as I love choosing very uncommon themes,” he shared.
A significant part of the journey involved navigating uncertainty and piecing together scattered historical references. “While thinking about the pieces, I had made up my mind that I wanted to do certain art pieces. Unfortunately, I either could not get enough information on them or they were too vaguely mentioned to be sketched. I spent about a month doing research, and it took me that long just to gather information on the Daad Mahal. After getting the descriptions, I studied the existing Qutb Shahi architecture, created a few imaginative models, and drew certain conclusions. More than the time and effort taken to make the sketches, I feel the most hectic part was gathering information from multiple resources, as each differed slightly. Once I got confirmation of the authenticity, I went ahead with the planning and execution,” Musa expresses.
His interest in the city’s forgotten stories naturally influences the places he encourages others to visit. “The older part of the city houses some of the most beautiful and oldest structures, including the Charminar, kamaans, deodis, ashurkhanas, and rustic bazaars. These places can tell anyone with zero knowledge of Hyderabadi history a lot about our culture and heritage,” Musa shares, further adding, “Another area to explore is the Golconda Fort along with the Qutb Shahi Tombs, which have beautiful and well-preserved structures still standing high. Legend says the Qutb Shahi Tombswere the most protected place during the Qutb Shahi dynasty, with even tighter security than the kings’ palaces and courts.”
For Musa, the exhibition was about more than sketches on paper. It was an invitation to pause, look beyond Hyderabad’s familiar landmarks and reconnect with stories that time almost erased. Through imagination, research and art, he has given the city’s forgotten legends a chance to be seen, remembered and talked about once again.