FORTS

CHARMINAR
The most popular landmark in
Hyderabad is the Charminar, a
magnificent and striking historical
monument with four graceful
minarets. Built more than 400 years
ago, its central structure soars to a
height of 180 feet. Most of the fabled
bazaars of Hyderabad are located
around the Charminar.

The Charminar was built by

Sultan Mohd. Quli Qutub Shah, as
a symbol of good fortune, to
ward off adversity from the
beautiful Pearl City... and it
stands resplendent today... as
true testimony to the bygone
glory !
 GOLCONDA FORT

Some historians claim that

Golconda Fort is about 2000 years
old. Golconda kings spent millions
of rupees upon the fort for the
command of the Deccan

Golconda fort is on an isolated granite

hill and rises in splendour about 400
feet above surrounding plain.The
tombs of the Qutb Shahi sultans lie
about one kilometer north of
Golconda's outer wall.
 SHILBAPARAM VILLAGE

This arts and crafts village is set in 30

acres in Madhapur, the IT sector of
Hyderabad. It has been set up to
encourage artisans and to provide a
marketing outlet for their works.

Shilparamam hosts annual bazaars much like

Delhi's famous Dilli Haat. Artists and artisans
from all over the country congregate here,
encouraging the customers to interact directly
with the craftspeople.
TARAMATI BARADARI

This historical monument is located at

Ibrahim bagh, Near Gandipet - Hyderabad,
India, built by Abdullah Qutb Shah, VII
Sultan of Golconda Fort, as an ode to his
favorite courtesan Taramati.Abdullah Qutb
Shah is believed to have enjoyed
Taramati’s song and dance from Golconda
fort. Her melodious voice would be carried
by the breeze, reaching the prince’s ear at
the Golconda fort, because of the
acoustics model, in the structure as well as
that of the Golconda fort. The baradari
with 12 doorways were to allow cross
ventilation, considered to be the most
ingenious technique at the time.
 PAIGAH TOMBS

Paigah Tombs also known as "Maqhbara

Shums Ul Umra".Paigah tombs belongs to
the noblility of the Paigah or the Shums ul
Umrahi family. They are situated in Santosh
Nagar, Hyderabad, India.

Paigah tombs were constructed in the

year 1787's by Nawab Taig Jung
Bahadur and Later by his son Amir e
Kabir I. The tombs of several
generations of the Paigah nobles
include Abul Fatah Khan Shums ul Umra
I to shums ul Umra v, Sir Asman Jah, Sir
Khursheed Jah, Sir Vicar-ul-Umra, Sultan
ul Mulk and other members of the
Paigah Family.
 QUTUB SHAHI TOMBS

Nowhere in the world are there so many

tombs in one place as here. You will find more
than 20 tombs at one place, these tombs are
famous as 'Seven Tombs'. These tombs
erected in memory of the departed kings of
Golconda are truly magnificent monuments
that have stood the test of time and the
vagaries of nature.

These imposing marvels of architectural

excellence stand as solemn reminders of the
grandeur and glory of Golconda and the great
kings who are buried here.These tombs mark a
unique architectural style which is a mixture of
Persian, Pathan and Hindu forms. The arcades
on all the sides and the pointed arches add to
their beauty and grace. Situated 1 kilometre
away from Golconda fort.
 FALAKNUMA PALACE

Falaknuma Palace is one of the finest palaces

in Hyderabad. It belonged to Paigah
Hyderabad State, and it was later owned by
the Nizam Mohammed Abeed. It is on a 32-
acre (13 ha) area in Falaknuma, 5 km from the
Charminar. It was built by Nawab Vikar-UL-
Umra, prime minister of Hyderabad and the
uncle and brother-in-law of the Nizam VI,
Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Bahadur. Falak-
numa means "Like the Sky" or "Mirror of the
Sky" in Urdu.
 CHOWMAHALLA PALACE

Once regarded as the center of Hyderabad,

the magnificent Chowmahalla Palace was the
seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the
Nizams entertained their official guests and
royal visitors.

Built over 200 years ago, Chowmahalla Palace

is renowned for its unique style and elegance.A
synthesis of many architectural styles and
influences, the Palace Complex has been
meticulously restored.
 MECCA MASJID

The building of the Mecca Masjid

was started by Sultan Mohammed
Quth Shah under the direction of
Daroga Mir Faizullah Baig and
Choudhary Rangaiah.The
construction work continued
during the reigns of Abdullah Qutb
Shah and Abul Hasan Tana Shah.
Finally 77 years after it was begun,
Mecca Masjid was completed in
1694 by the Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb. Mecca Masjid lies 100
yards south-west of Charminar.
The name is derived from the
Grand Mosque at Mecca on which
it is patterned. This mosque is one
of the largest in India and can
accommodate ten thousand
people at a time.
KEESARAGUTTA TEMPLE

The history of Keesara goes back to early Christian

era. In fact it is the oldest inhabited place of
Hyderabad city. The history of Hyderabad starts
from the history of Keesara. Keesara was once the
capital city of Vishnukundins dynasty. The ruins of
old fort can be seen on the hill the name literally
translates to “The temple of a core lingams situated
on the hillock of Lord Hanuman”.
 BIRLA MANDIR

Birla Mandir is a temple, built on a 280 feet

high hillock called Naubath Pahad. The
construction took 10 years and was
constructed by Swami Ranganathananda of
Ramakrishna Mission. The temple was
constructed by Birla Foundation, which has
also constructed several similar temples
across India, all of which are known as Birla
Mandir.

The consorts of Lord Venkateswara, Padmavati

and Andal are housed in separate shrines. The
temple also has separate shrines for various
Hindu gods and goddess including Shiva, Shakti,
Ganesh, Hanuman, Brahma, Saraswati,Lakshmi
and Saibaba. Selected teachings of holy men and
Gurbani are engraved on temple walls.
 CHILKUR BALAJI TEMPLE

Chilkur Balaji Temple popularly known

as Visa Balaji Temple is an ancient
Hindu temple of Lord Balaji on the
banks of Osman Sagar Lake. It is 17 km
from Mehedipatnam. It is one of the
oldest temples in Hyderabad built
during the time of Madanna and
Akkanna, the uncles of Bhakta
Ramadas.

From the style, structure and appearance, it can be

inferred that the temple was built half a millennium
ago. Set in sylvan surroundings, Chilkur Balaji Temple
attracts millions of pilgrims every year and is an ideal
place for sequestered retreat and meditation. It
enjoyed in the past, great days of pomp and glory
 SALARJUNG MUSEUM

The Salarjung Museum is the third largest museum in India housing the biggest one-
man collections of antiques in the world. It is well known throughout India for its
prized collections belonging to different civilizations dating back is very largest
accocation to the 1st century. Nawab Mir Yusuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III (1889–1949),
former Prime Minister of the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, spent a substantial amount
of his income over thirty five years to make this priceless collection, his life's passion
 NIZAM MUSEUM
His Exalted Highness The Nizam's Museum, is
located in the stately Purani Haveli. The palace
was acquired by the II Nizam in about 1750
when he made Hyderabad the capital of the
State. It was the first home the family had in
the city. The palace has been preserved
though much of the land around it has been
re-developed. Many of the old buildings in the
great rambling complex are used by
educational institutions.

The core of the museum is a rich

collection of souvenirs, gifts,
mementos and models presented
to the VII Nizam on the occasion
of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations
in 1927 and later.
 AP ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM

In 1930, the State Museum came up in a palace

constructed in 1864, in the Public Gardens, Nampally.
It seems the Nizam had built it for one of his
daughters. It was called 'Doll's House'. However, due
to a superstition, she did not occupy the palace. A
speciality of the museum is that it is the only museum
in the country with facsimiles of the Ajanta paintings.
Its manuscript section includes a copy of the Quran
bearing the seal of Emperor Shah Jahan.This museum
main attraction is its Egyptian mummy, which was
brought to Hyderabad by the son-in-law of VI Nizam
Mahbub Ali Khan, and donated it to the last Nizam
Mir Osman Ali Khan. He reportedly brought it for a
paltry sum of 1000 pounds.There is a huge gallery on
Buddha dating back to last century. The museum has
wide variety of archaeological artefacts from the
Nizam, Kakatiya dynasty etc.
 OSMAN SAGAR

Osman Sagar was created by damming the

Musi River in 1920, to provide an additional
source of drinking water for Hyderabad and
to protect the city after the Great Musi
Flood of 1908.

It was constructed during the reign of the last

Nizam of Hyderabad, Osman Ali Khan, hence its
name.This lake had served drinking water for
Hyderabad city but, due to increase in
population, it is not sufficient for water supply to
Hyderabad city.
DURGAM CHERUVU

Durgam Cheruvu is a freshwater lake located

in Rangareddy district, Telangana, India. The
lake is spread over 83 acres. The lake is also
known as Secret Lake because it is hidden
between the localities of Jubilee Hills and
Madhapur.Under the rule of the Qutb Shahi
dynasty, this lake served as the drinking water
source for the residents of Golconda Fort
 MIR ALAM TANK

Mir Alam Tank is a reservoir in Hyderabad. It

is located to the south of Musi river. It was
the primary source of drinking water to
Hyderabad before Osman Sagar and Himayat
Sagar were built. It is connected to National
Highway 7 near Palm Valley

The tank was named after Mir Alam Bahadur,

then Prime Minister of Hyderabad state during
the reign of Asaf Jah III, the third Nizam of
Hyderabad state. Mir Alam laid the foundation
for the tank on July 20, 1804 and it was
completed in about two years on June 8, 1806.
 HIMAYAT SAGAR

The construction of the himayat sagar on Esi a

tributary of Musi River was completed in 1927, for
providing drinking water source for Hyderabad and
saving the city from floods, which Hyderabad
suffered in 1908. It was built during the reign of
the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Nizam VII and so it is
named after his youngest son Himayat Ali
Khan.The Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar
reservoirs provided continuous water supply to the
twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad until
recently. Due to population growth it was not
sufficient for water supply to Hyderabad city.
HUSSAIN SAGAR

Hussain Sagar is a lake built by Hazrat Hussain

Shah Wali in 1562, during the rule of Ibrahim
Quli Qutub Shah. It is fed by River Musi. A large
monolithic statue of the Gautama Buddha,
stands in an island in the middle of the
lake.Maximum depth of the lake is feet.It is an
artificial lake and holds water perennially fed by
canals from Musi river. Hussain Sagar was the
main source of water supply to Hyderabad
before Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar were
built on river Musi