Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad

One of the largest mosques in India, this vast grey-granite structure near Charminar took decades to complete under the Qutb Shahi and Mughal rulers. Its name derives from bricks reputedly brought from Mecca and set above the central arch. The immense prayer hall, supported by massive monolithic columns, can accommodate thousands, and an arcaded courtyard shelters the tombs of the Nizams. Kites wheel above the towering facade, and the mosque remains a focal point of the crowded historic quarter surrounding it.