The ruins at Hauz Khas are a happy place to spend the evening catching up with friends. Amidst the medieval architecture of an old university complex, you can find a quiet spot to relax.
After the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258, Delhi became the most important place in the world for Islamic education. Many leading philosophers and teachers migrated to Delhi. The university at Hauz Khas was established in 1352, and became one of the largest and best equipped Islamic seminaries in the world.
They university came up around a beautiful Royal Tank (Hauz Khas). The tank was originally dug
by the Khiljis in the 1200's, but it was deepened and improved by Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1309 - 1338). Can you imagine how beautiful this university must have been? It is a green oasis even now. Firoz Shah Tughlaq's tomb is also there, in the building on the left.
So many people, each lost in their own world :) Perhaps just a handful of them knew the history of Hauz Khas; or that algebra was once taught here, and astronomy, and poetry, and calligraphy and geography.
8 comments:
Nice photoblog. Always wondered why the name "Houz Khas" and history behind it. Your blog explains that.
Hauz is a Persian word which means pond or water body.
And Khas is another Persian word meaning royal or special.
Thanks. Just reading your blog we were walking in our memory lane as we lived in South Delhi for more than 20 yrs and many a times visited Hoz Khas just walking from Green park ext. Thanks to archeology deptt. to maintain it well and also to the public to keep in clean.Now there is very posh and very expensive residential area close to it. During around 1960 we coould hear the peackcock singing.
Thanks. Just reading your blog we were walking in our memory lane as we lived in South Delhi for more than 20 yrs and many a times visited Hoz Khas just walking from Green park ext. Thanks to archeology deptt. to maintain it well and also to the public to keep in clean.Now there is very posh and very expensive residential area close to it. During around 1960 we coould hear the peackcock singing.
Nice post, I bookmark your blog because I found very good information on your blog, Thanks for sharing more informatiom. Hauz Khas Village Market is Nucleus of Ethnic Chic.
Looks like a pleasant place to visit and the building has been very impressive in its prime. I think what is even more of an attraction is that the building seems to be a meeting point where people are still continuing to come together to spend a little time chilling out, and that can only be a good thing.
Best place to hangout, the lake is really beautiful to spend some quality time with your friends. During my last trip we stayed at http://www.justahotels.com/ and visited there. We enjoyed delicious desserts there.
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