6 Popular Tourist Attractions In Hyderabad

Concentrate on Hyderabad if you’re passing through Andhra Pradesh. Most of the city’s interesting sights are in the Old Town, making it easy to walk around or take short auto-rickshaw trips. Don’t bother with Hyderabad’s twin city, Secunderabad, which, aside from its railway station, has little to offer the traveler. If you have the stamina and will be heading south to Madras, consider a detour to the temple town of Tirupati.

# Falaknuma Palace

This stunning late-19th-century palace built by a Paigah noble is not open to the public, but it may one day be trans-formed into a luxury hotel by the Taj Group, along with its peaceful Japanese gardens. People do often walk the 20 minutes south of Charminar, however, on the off chance that they’ll be allowed to marvel at the stained-glass windows, carved ceilings, fine Italian marble staircases, and general 19th-century opulence that took nine years to create. Acquired by the sixth nizam in 1897, the palace has hosted both Indian and European royalty.

# Golconda Fort

A clap at the gate of this fort echos clearly up to its summer palace, high on the hill just outside the city. These are the ruins of what was once the state capital: It often sheltered whole communities under siege for months, and though tremendously worn by time and war, it tells stories in crumbling stone. The fort only fell to one siege, but that siege was disastrous. After eight months of bottling up the fort, Aurangzeb—with the assistance of a traitor who opened what is now called the Victory Gate—sent his troops storming in. In the belief that there was hidden gold here, Aurangzeb ordered the roofs of all palaces ripped off; so, 300 years later, only the walls stand amid the weeds and moss. The excellent, nightly sound-and-light show is performed in English every Wednesday and Sunday.

# Mecca Masjid

India’s second-largest mosque, located in the Charka-man area in the center of the old part of town (south of Charminar), can hold 10,000 worshipers. Non-Muslims are welcome except at prayer time, which includes, of course, all day Friday. Some bricks here were made with earth brought from Mecca in 1618. The nizams’ tombs line the left side of the courtyard.

# Qutab Shahi Tombs

Each of the seven distinctive tombs of the Qutab Shahi dynasty has a square base surrounded by pointed arches. The seventh is unfinished because Shah Abdul Hassan was rudely interrupted in the building of his tomb by Aurangzeb, who defeated him and captured the Golconda Fort.

# Salar Jung Museum

When you see the wealth of this collection, you might be astonished to learn that it all belonged to one man: Mir Yusuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III, who for a short time was prime minister. Thirty-five thousand items are crammed into 35 rooms. The fantastic Chola sculptures, European glass, Chinese jade, jeweled weapons, and modern Indian paintings are displayed with little information, but they’re well worth a look anyway.

# Tank Bund Road

A showpiece of Hyderabad, Tank Bund is a promenade across the top of the dam that holds back the waters of Hussain Sagar Lake (4 mi by V mi), a dominant feature of the city. Many hotels are positioned so that their rooms overlook the lake, which is often used as a venue for sporting events. The road is lined with statues of the state’s native sons, and a stunning sight from here is the 52-ft-high,:350-ton monolithic statue of Lord Buddha in the middle of the lake.

# Charminar

South of the Musi River, near the impressive Osmania Hospital and High Court buildings, you enter the Charkaman area in the heart of the Old City between four (char) great gates (kaman). Within these gates you’ll find not only Hyderabad’s famed pearl and bangle markets, but also the striking Charminar, an imposing granite edifice built by Mohammed Quli Qutab Shah in 1591 to appease the forces of evil and protect this new city from plague and epidemic. The arches, domes, and minarets show Islamic influence, while much of the ornamentation is Hindu in style.