Historical places in and around Hyderabad

[Swati]

I have great interest in history and as we all know India is a country full of history. I am actually from Delhi and have seen most of the historical places in the Northern part of India, which are fascinating. It is now time to move towards the Southern part of India, which I am sure is full of history and beautiful places to see. I am going to be visiting Hyderabad and my stay is not so long so I need to know the important places that should be seen in and around Hyderabad. I can make more than one trip in a day that is not a problem, the more I see the better.

 

[Gori Bride]

I have been to Hyderabad once a long time ago when I first came to India and the only things I remember are the Salarjung museum, Golconda fort and the Char minar. The best thing I liked about Hyderabad was the pearls. There is a big market near the Char minar where you can buy jewelry made of pearls and also precious stones. At that time I found the prices to be very reasonable there.

 

[BadBoy]

Charminar is around secudnerabad area.
i visited it an year ago.. it failed to offer our expectations! it is nothing more than the leftover of small forts kind of places we have in old delhi.."shuru hote he khatam" kind of place for me,but differnet people have different views. Golconda fort is a must see!

the market around it is quite good as mentioned by GoriBride.

 

[Admin]

I have seen the Golconda fort a long time ago and the day I was there they had some festival at the Kali temple there and they slaughtered a goat on the foot steps. Other then that I loved it there especially sitting at the top of the highest building as the breeze there was just amazing. There were hardly any tourists back then.

The shops near char minar are also famous for bangles made with semi precious stones. That area is very crowded though.

 

[briannagodess]

Hello, @Swati! Welcome to the forum!

Here are the historical places you can visit in and around Hyderabad:

• Golconda Fort - Golconda was the capital of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty during their reign. Actually, Golconda has about four distinct forts and there's an outer 10 km long wall with 87 bastions. There's also about eight gateways, four drawbridges, temples and mosques inside the forts. The whole Golconda Fort Complex is about 11 kms in total area. The highest point of the fort is called the Bala Hissar. Another famous attraction of the fort is the cannon here named Rahban.

• Char Minar - This is both a monument and fort located in the East bank of the Musi River. It was built by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591. Char Minar means four towers. According to legends, the Char Minar was built to commemorate the eradication of a deadly disease that plagued the city for a time. Another legend is that the Char Minar was built to commemorate the beginning of the second Islamic millennium year.

• Qutub Shahi Tombs - This is located just outside the Golconda Fort. The tombs house the relics of the Qutub Shahi Rulers, except the last Qutub Shahi Ruler. After the reign of the Qutub Shahis, the tombs were abandoned and not maintained. It was Sir Salar Jung III who ordered the renovation of the tombs. So a garden was built and a compound wall as well.

• Mecca Masjid - This is one of the oldest and largest mosques in India. It was Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah who commissioned the building of this mosque, with the soils from Mecca originally used. But the mosque was finished by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The mosque is so big that it can accommodate up to 10,000 pilgrims at a time.

• Shri Jagannath Temple - This temple was built in 2009 by the Odia Community of Hyderabad. It is believed that the temple is a replica of the original Jagannath Temple in Puri. The Shikhara of the temple is about 700 feet in height, which is its most attractive feature. You can find idols of several deities inside like Lakshmi, Shiva and Ganesha.

• Hussain Sagar - This heart shaped lake was built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali during the year 1563. In 1992 though, a statue of Gautama Buddha was built on the Gibraltar Rock in the middle of the lake. Originally, this was the main water supply of the city of Hyderabad.

• Falaknuma Palace - This palace was built by Sir Viqar Ul-Umara, Prime Minister of Hyderabad. The name Falaknuma means mirror of the sky. It was in 1884 when the foundation for this palace was laid. It took about 9 years to finish the construction of this palace. The palace has both Italian and Tudor architectural styles. Originally, Sir Vicar resided in the palace but it was handed over to the 6th Nizam of Hyderabad in the year 1897. The palace has about 60 rooms and 22 halls. Now, the palace is a heritage hotel owned by the Taj Hotels.

• Chilkur Balaji Temple - You can find this temple on the banks of the Osman Sagar. It's a temple dedicated to Lord Balaji. This is one of the two temples that doesn't have special privileges for VIPs. It is also one of the few temples that aren't controlled by the government.

• Taramati Baradari - This was built on the banks of the Musi River. This is an open pavilion with a theatre, auditorium and banquet hall. It was built during the reign of Ibrahim Qutb Shah.

• Salar Jung Museum - This is an art museum also located on the banks of Musi River. This is one of the largest museums in the world. The reason why I'm including this in the list is because it houses lots of artefacts from different countries which makes it historical as well. You can find various paintings, armoury and ancient furnitures here.

• Biggest Baobab Tree - This is the biggest Baobab Tree in India, at about 25 metres. It's impossible to photograph the tree in one frame at a close distance. This tree is about 400 years old already. You can find it in the Naya Qila, an extension of the Golconda Fort. Some believe that traders from Arabia gifted this tree from Madagascar to Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah.

• Paigah Tombs - These tombs house the relics of the Paigah Family. They are about 200 years old already. At a distance, the tombs might not seem special but as you take a closer look, the exquisite and intricate carvings on the tombs are quite beautiful. The designs range from floral artworks, to geometrical and even to canopies.

• Mouli Alah Dargah - This dargah houses the relics of two Muslim saints: Hazrath Syed Shah Yousufuddin and Syed Shah Sharifuddin. They were commanders in the army of Aurangzeb. The saints helped the king in conquering the Kingdom of Golconda.

• Purani Haveli - This was the residence of the Nizams during their reign. It was built by Nawab Mir Nizam Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi Bahadur Asaf Jah II. Nizam's Museum can also be found inside the palace complex, which houses mementos, artefacts and even vintage cars.

• Toli Masjid - This is also referred to as the Damri Masjid. This was built in 1671 by Mir Musa Khan Mahalda and was declared as a Heritage Site by the ASI.

I hope this helps!