Spanish Mosque

The Spanish Mosque, also called the Mosque of the Moors, was begun in 1887 by Sir Viqar ul Umra, a Paigah noble who served as the Nizam's prime minister, and finished by his successor in 1906. Its Spanish-Moorish design, with slender spires in place of the usual domes, gives it the look of a large church. The hall holds about 3,000 worshippers.

Viqar ul Umra is said to have been so struck by the buildings he saw in Europe that he brought back photographs to model this one on. Inside, arches and columns give the main hall a European feel, while geometric patterns and Turkish calligraphy cover the walls. The pulpit and bookshelf resemble church furniture. French windows link the central prayer hall to two side rooms, and the building pairs basilica-like halls with a qibla wall and mihrabs.