Hyderabad is the capital of southern India’s Telangana state. A major centre for the technology industry, it’s home to many upscale restaurants and shops. Its historic sites include Golconda Fort, a former diamond-trading centre that was once the Qutb Shahi dynastic capital. Fondly referred to as the city of Nizams, the city was founded in 1591 after which the city remained under the rule of the Qutub Shahis before the Mughals declared sovereignty and created the rule of the Nizams. Till 2014, the city was the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh, and after the state split into two states, the city became the capital of the state of Telangana. The Charminar, a 16th-century mosque whose 4 arches support towering minarets, is an old city landmark and a signature near the long-standing Laad Bazaar. Hyderabad has also established itself as the city pf pearls and jewels since many decades.
MAIN HIGHLIGHTS:
Char Minar – The iconic landmark of Hyderabad, the Charminar was built in 591 to commemorate the founding of Hyderabad and the end of epidemics caused by Golconda’s water shortage. The beautiful four-column, 56m-high structure has four arches facing the cardinal points, with minarets atop each column (hence the name Charminar, ‘four minarets’). It stands at the heart of Hyderabad’s most atmospheric area (also known as Charminar), a labyrinth of lanes crowded with shops, stalls, markets and shoppers.
Chowmahalla Palace – This opulent 18th-and-19th-century palace, the main residence of several nizams, comprises four garden courtyards in a line from north to south. Most dazzling is the Khilwat Mubarak at the end of the first courtyard, a magnificent durbar hall where nizams held ceremonies under 19 enormous chandeliers of Belgian crystal.
Golconda Fort – It was the Qutb Shahs in the 16th century who made Golconda into the massive fortress whose substantial ruins we see today. Golkonda actually consists of four distinct forts with a 10 km long outer wall with 87 semicircular bastions (some still mounted with cannons), eight gateways, and four drawbridges, with a number of royal apartments and halls, temples, mosques, magazines, stables, etc. inside.
Qutab Shahi Tombs – 2 kms northwest of the Golconda Fort lie these 21 magnificient domed granite tombs with almost as many mosques. Seven of the eight Qutb Shahi rulers were buried here, as well as family members and a few physicians, courtesans and other favourites. The tombs’ great domes are mounted on cubical bases, many of which have beautiful colonnades and delicate lime stucco ornamentation.