Hyderabad - A Introduction
Quli Qutab Shah founded Hyderabad, the city of Charminar. Legends say that the foundation of the city is the result of a love story between the prince and a village belle. To appease his beloved, Bhagmati, he named the city Bhagnagar (the city of good fortune) which later changed to this city. Modelled after Isfaan in Iran, the city was meant to be a symbol of the might of the Qutab Shahi rulers. When it was completed in 1592, the city received lavish praises from many visitors including Tavernier and Abbe Carr. It is rare to come across a place that welcomes the 21st century with an 'adaab'. Hyderabad is one such place. There is so much here to awe the senses. From the magnificent food to the majestic monuments, from its terrific landscapes to a populace steeped in respect and tradition. Consisting of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, Hyderabad is also the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Once the largest princely state in India, Hyderabad had its own flag, currency, railway, and postal system, before being incorporated into the Indian nation. With a rich history, Hyderabad boasts of some fine examples of Qutub Shahi architecture - the Jami Masjid, the Mecca Masjid, Toli Masjid and of course, the impressive symbol of this city, the Charminar. A unique feature of the city is that it is the only city in the south, where the major language spoken is Urdu. Home to the Nizams, reportedly, the world's richest royal, the stories of whose hordes of gold, diamonds and pearls spread far and wide. Hyderabad is also home to famous folk arts like shadow puppetry and kuchipudi.

Places of Interest
Charminar
Situated in the heart of Hyderabad, the grand Charminar has four wide roads radiating in the four cardinal directions. You can see the four minarets from miles. It is a square structure, each measuring 100 feet and a high central pointed arch. There are numerous small decorative arches arranged vertically as well as horizontally on the whole edifice. The structure has been made elegant by adding the projected canopy, ornamental brackets and decoration in stucco plaster. The Charminar has two galleries, one over other. The exterior of the Charminar is its most beautiful part, surrounded by a thriving market. There are four magnificent arches known as Char Kaman situated near Charminar. They were the gateway to Zilu Khana or antechamber of the royal palace. The arches have been named Machli Kaman, Kali Kaman, Sher Gil Ki Kaman, and Charminar Ki Kaman.

Salar Jung Museum
One of the prime attractions is the Salar Jung Museum, the world's largest collection by a single individual, Sir Yusaf Ali Salar Jung III. The 36 rooms, house around 35,000 exhibits from all over the world including sculptures, illuminated manuscripts, unusual collections of jade, marble statues, rare manuscripts, Persian miniature paintings, Chinese porcelain and other objects d'art. The collected items in the museum could be far better classified because a lot of the really good pieces of art need to be hunted for. Whatever the inevitable drawbacks of a one man collection, a must visit. The museum is closed on Fridays.

Mecca Masjid
One of the largest mosques in the world, the Mecca Masjid is said to accommodate upto 10,000 worshippers. The foundation of the mosque was laid during the reign of Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1614, but was completed only in 1687, when the Golconda Kingdom was annexed by Emperor Aurangzeb.

Nehru Zoological Park
Hyderabad also boasts of one of the largest zoos in India, the Nehru Zoological Park. It is spread over 1.2 sq. kms of landscaped gardens and houses about 3000 animals. There's a prehistoric animal section, a toy train ride around the park, a lion safari and a nocturnal section.

The Birla Mandir (Naubat Prahad)
The Birla Mandir stands on a hill overlooking the south end of Hussain Sagar. It is a splendid temple built entirely out of white marble. The Birla Planetarium is also quite a crowd-puller.

Excursion: Places nearby Hyderabad
Golconda Fort
A short distance away from the city, looms one of the most magnificent fortresses in India, the Golconda Fort. The fort dates back to the time of the Qutub Shahi kings, though its origin has been traced to earlier periods, to the reign of the Yadavas and later the Kakatiyas. The fortress is built on a granite hill 120 metres high. Its gates are studded with menacing iron spikes, intended to discourage elephants from battering them down.

What is unique about this fort is its system of acoustics. The sound of hands clapped at the entry gate can be heard quite clearly at the top of the hill, at a height of 61m. The stately tombs of the Qutub Shahi rulers lie just outside the outer wall of the Golconda fort. They lie amidst beautifully kept gardens and a number of them have intricately carved stonework.

Nagarjunkonda
Located about 160 km from Hyderabad, Nagarjunsagar is perhaps India/'s first island-museum. The place presents a panorama of human evolution in the lower Krishna river valley from the prehistoric age to medieval times. The main attractions here include Simhala Vihara (monastery for Ceylonese monks), Mahastupa (considered the oldest structure on the island containing some corporal relics of Lord Buddha), and a Ashwamedh site. There is an architectural museum here containing mithuna couples in varying moods, a collection of antiquities ranging from the bust of a Gandharv to figures of dwarfs, yakshis, coins, pottery, a model of the submerged valley, and exhibits of some Stone Age implements such as wedges, axes, arrowheads, spearheads and some broken pottery.

Warangal
Famous for its thousand-pillared temple-a famous specimen of the Chalukya architecture-Warangal is situated 157 km north-east. The fort of Warangal was constructed by the Kakatiyas between the 12th and 14th centuries. You can see the ruins of the mud-brick fort that still survive in certain portions. The great temple at Harnamkonda was built by king Rudra Deva on the slopes of the hill in 1163. The temple has exquisitely carved pillars. The entrance to the temple has a monolithic structure of Nandi sitting on guard at the entrance along with rock-cut statues of elephants on either side. The fort suffered much destruction in the 14th century after it was conquered by Muhammad Tughlaq.

Bidar
Lying 110 km northwest of Hyderabad, Bidar was the consecutive capitals to the mighty Bahamanis and Barid Shahi dynasty. Within the fortified area there is a vast range of palaces, mosques, baths, schools and tombs. The major attractions are the tombs at Ashtur and Gawan/'s Madarsa.