Charminar
The four-minaret arch of 1591 at the center of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah's new city, with a mosque on its top floor.
Opens at 9am; go early for the first-floor view without crowds.
45 min
← Back to index
Hyderabad
Qutb Shahi kings built it in 1591 when the fort at Golconda ran out of water; the Nizams kept it a separate state until 1948.
Musi
1518
Golconda
A diamond-trading sultanate rises.
1591
Charminar
A new city laid out on the Musi.
1724
The Nizams
Asaf Jahi rule begins, lasting 224 years.
1948
Accession
The princely state joins India.
Mecca Masjid
One of India's largest mosques, begun in 1617 and finished under Aurangzeb in 1694, with bricks said to contain soil from Mecca.
Dress modestly; non-Muslims can visit outside prayer times.
30 min
Golconda Fort
A granite hill fort whose sultans controlled the mines that yielded the Koh-i-Noor; a clap at the gate still carries to the summit pavilion.
Go early for the climb; stay for the evening sound and light show.
2.5 hrs
Qutb Shahi Tombs
Seven kings buried in domed tombs across a garden they laid out themselves, built between 1543 and 1672, and restored with the Great Stepwell by the Aga Khan Trust.
Closed Fridays; late afternoon light is best on the domes.
2 hrs
Paigah Tombs
Constructed from the 1780s onward for the Paigah nobility, second in rank to the Nizams, these tombs feature intricate stucco lattice work unique in Deccan funerary architecture.
Closed Fridays; free entry and usually empty.
45 min
Falaknuma Palace
An Italianate palace finished in 1893 on a hill south of the Old City, bought by the 6th Nizam and restored as a Taj hotel.
Visit through a heritage walk with high tea or a dinner reservation.
2 hrs
Birla Mandir
A white Rajasthani-marble temple completed in 1976 on a hill above Hussain Sagar.
Phones and cameras must be deposited; good views at sunset.
45 min