Experts from Archaeological Survey of India, state department of archaeology and museums, and Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), paid a visit to the famed Charminar of Hyderabad on 3 January. This wasn’t a typical tourist stop for the team of officials, rather, they were in the capital city to inspect recent measures taken to conserve the more than 400 year old monument as part of the 2010 application for designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Charminar, a ceremonial Gateway built to celebrate the foundation of Hyderabad, is just one of several Qutub Shahi era monuments within or near Hyderabad being considered for the prestigious World Heritage status. Other sites up for consideration include Golconda Fort, including the Naya Qila, and Qutub Shahi Tombs. A mission team from International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is expected to visit Hyderabad in September 2012, to carry out another inspection of the historic sites.

“Charminar and all other Qutub Shahi monuments around it are being considered as a single heritage precinct. The group also held talks with conservation architects who earlier helped prepare the dossier for world heritage tag. The objective of this team is to bring out the Qutub Shahi theme of Hyderabad to ensure that the city bags the coveted status. Everything we gathered today will translate into workable measures in the future,” said a member of the January 2012 visiting committee.

If approved, World Heritage status for Charminar as well as the other Qutub Shahi Hyderabad monuments would be awarded in 2013.