A view of the Shaikpet Sarai.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority has invited bids towards development of Shaikpet Sarai, a 400-year-old Qutb Shahi era heritage site on the Old Bombay Highway.
Tenders were called for construction of a compound wall, toilets and parking area at the location of the sarai, at an estimated cost of over ₹2 crore.
According to historians, the heritage structure was built by Ibrahim Qutb Shah in the 16th century for traders on the way to Golconda Fort. It has the potential to become a tourist spot in the Golconda circuit, along with Qutb Shahi Tombs and Taramati Baradari.
The structure has fallen into disuse and is being used by the truck operators carrying sand as unloading an reloading point. With the surrounding areas developing phenomenally in terms of realty, the government has decided to revive the area as a tourist destination.
In December, 2022, the then principal secretary, Municipal Administration, and Metropolitan Commissioner Arvind Kumar had announced plans to develop the sarai. Taking to social media, he had said the structure spread over three acres of land, with 29 rooms, a camel and horse stable, a tomb and a mosque will be restored for adaptive reuse by the HMDA.
