Hyderabad is more than 400 years
old. It is endowed with natural beauty such as
hills, tanks, forests and rock formations that
can captivate the hearts of the tourists along
with the harmonious co-existence of diverse
cultures - the Muslim-dominated old city where
the Charminar is located and the Anglo-Indian
community that is centered around Secunderabad,
the modern twin city of Hyderabad known for its
industrial growth and enterprise. Richly endowed
with architectural legacies of the Medieval,
Mughal, Colonial and Indo-Saracenic period and
sporting latest sleek and elegant glass and
chrome skyscrapers and commercial centers,
Hyderabad was founded by the fifth Quli Qutub
Shahi ruler, Mohammad. The original city spread
had Charminar at its center. The city had been
the capital of the famous Nizams of the Asaf Jah
dynasty until it went over to British.
The twin city Secunderabad was founded in 1798
by Nizam Sikander Jah and later merged with
Hyderabad. The minarets of Hyderabad are almost
as famous as the pearl market and the artisans
of the city that are skilled in piercing and
stringing pearls with precision and delicacy.
Hyderabad is famous all over the world for its
pearls and also the colorfully attired gypsy
tribes called 'Lambadas' and 'Banjaras' that
mostly make their living by performing dances
and other acrobatic tricks for entertaining the
tourists or shooting for Bollywood movies. The
city is also known as the second Silicon Valley
of India after Bangalore because of its Software
Technology Park housing giant IT industries such
as TCS, Wipro, Baan and Satyam. The unique and
delicious piquant Hyderabadi cuisine includes
inspired vegetarian Muslim dishes that use
coconut, tamarind, peanuts and sesame seeds as
their flavors and chilli as the key spice. 'Gosht',
meat of a baby male goat, is one of the most
popular dish here and is cooked in literally
hundreds of ways.
Hyderabad's Prime
Attractions
Charminar:
The central point of old Hyderabad, Charminar
was built by Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah in 1591 to
commemorate the eradication of plague from
Hyderabad.
Mecca
Masjid:
Mecca Masjid can accommodate 10,000 devotees at
a time and is one of the largest mosques in
India and the biggest in Hyderabad. It was
started during the reign of Sultan Muhammad
Qutub Shah, continued to be built up during the
reigns of Abdullah Qutub Shah and Abul Hassan
Tana Shah and finally got completed in 1694 by
the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
Golconda Fort:
The phenomenal daunting Golconda fort is more
than 400 years old and is situated on the
outskirts of Hyderabad city.
Salar Jung Museum:
Hyderabad presents the largest collection of
antiques in the world that is property of just
one man! Salar Jung Museum exhibits over 35,000
artifacts such as Chinese Porcelain;
Aurangazeb's Sword; Noorjehan's, Jehangir's and
Shah Jahan's daggers; Sculpture including the
translucent white marble statue known as Veiled
Rebecca, a masterpiece by Bezzoni; Indian
paintings and Persian carpets. The most loved
sections of the museum are the the Arms section,
the Jade section and the Oriental Section.
Hussain Sagar Lake:
Built by Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah in 1562 in the
honor of Hussain Shah Wali, the man who cured
him of his illness, Hussain Sagar Lake forms a
link between the twin cities of Hyderabad and
Secunderabad. The other name of the lake known
as Tank Bund belongs to the time, when the area
served as the cantonment area of Secunderabad.
Jama Masjid:
The oldest mosque of Hyderabad, Jama Masjid was
built by Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah in 1597.
St. Joseph's Cathedral:
Most beautiful Cathedral of Hyderabad dedicated
to Saint Joseph, it is situated in the Gun
foundry area.
Birla Mandir:
Built by the Birla family, this modern massive
temple, made up of Rajasthani marble, is
situated on the shores of Hussain Sagar Lake on
the 'Kala Pahad', the twin hillock of 'Naubat
Pahad'. The temple is dedicated to Lord
Venkateshwara.
Birla Planetarium:
Atop the Naubat Pahad is the beautiful
dome-shaped edifice of the Birla Planetarium.
Late Mr. N.T. Rama Rao inaugurated it on 8th
September, 1985.
Falaknuma Palace (Star
of Heaven):
The fabulous and gorgeous palace built by Nawab
Vikar-ul-Umra Bahadur stands atop a 650 m high
hill and is quite unique in conception.
Hi-Tech City:
Hi-Tech City on the outskirts of the city is the
hub of IT industries and Software companies.
High Court:
The Mughal building in 1916 looks quite stunning
and is made up of local pink granite and red
sandstone. Vincent Esch, the British architect
who designed the building richly endowed it with
carved panels and columns and has been estimated
at a cost of 2 million rupees.
Qutub Shahi Tombs:
The domed structures with a square base and
pointed arches all around are the tombs of the
Qutub Shahi. The casket visible in the center of
each tomb is actually an imitation of the real
burial vault in a crypt below. The few
reminiscent hints us that these domes were once
overlaid with blue and green tiles.
Paigah Tombs:
The tombs of Paigah nobles at Santoshnagar
belong to the relatives of Nizams and are more
than 200 years old. Their uniqueness lies in
their lime and mortar construction, beautiful
carvings and the marble inlay work on them.
Chote Hazrat Ki Dargah:
Housed Devan Devadi, it was built by Asif Jahi
rulers in the memory of Hazrat Ali, the
son-in-law of prophet Muhammad. The majesty of
the Dargah is enhanced by its row of arches and
400 stairs that leads up to the main Hall of
Worship.
Raymond's Tomb:
A close friend of Nizam and a French mercenary
Michel Raymond was buried in Saroornagar in east
Hyderabad. The 7 m high black marble tomb has
initials 'JR' on it and an annual commemorative
'Urs' fair is held here.
Sanjeevaiah Park:
Sanjeevaiah Park has been named after the former
President of India, Mr. Neelam Sanjeev Reddy. It
is situated on the shores of the Hussain Sagar
Lake and is a recreation center featuring a rose
garden, rock garden and a floral clock.
Nehru Zoological Park:
Sporting over 250 species of fauna, this is one
of the biggest zoos in Asia and features the
lion safari park, pre-historical animals park,
natural history museum, nocturnal birds and
children's park with a toy train ride.
Hyderabad City Facts
| Location: | Situated in Andhra Pradesh, India. |
| Climate: | Hot steppe climate is distinctive of Hyderabad. The best season to visit the city is November to February. The monsoon season is to be avoided as Hyderabad receives heavy rainfalls and is warm and humid during the season. |
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How to Reach:
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| By Air: | Well connected with flights to Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Nagpur and Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad also has an international airport. |
| By Train: | Hyderabad is connected by railways to Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and other major cities in Andhra Pradesh and India. |
| By Road: | Excellent roads including National Highways 7 and 9 and bus services and connect Hyderabad to all the major cities in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and the surrounding states. |
