The history of Hyderabad begins with the establishment of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. Quli Qutub Shah seized the reins of power from the Bahamani kingdom in 1512 and established the fortress city of Golconda. Inadequacy of water, and frequent epidemics of plaque and cholera persuaded Mohammad, the fifth Quli Qutub Shahi ruler to venture outward to establish the new city with the Charminar as its center and with four great roads fanning out in the four cardinal directions. Hyderabad's fame, strategic location and Golconda's legendary wealth attracted Aurangazeb who captured Golconda after a long siege in 1687. After this defeat the importance of Hyderabad declined and the city fell into partial ruin.

As the Mughal Empire decayed and began to disintegrate, the viceroy, Asaf Jah I proclaimed himself the Nizam and established independent rule of the Deccan. Hyderabad once again became a major capital city, ruled by successive Nizams of the Asaf Jah dynasty until the state was merged into the Indian Union in 1948.

 The city is cosmopolitan, and is richly endowed with a variety of cultures. While Muslim people are concentrated more towards the old city like Charminar, Secunderabad has got a more contemporary look with a concentration of Anglo-Indians. The city of Hyderabad presents an attractive amalgam of old world charm together with the ebullience of growth and enterprise. Beautiful old edifices built in the medieval, Mughal, Colonial and Indo-Saracenic styles abound, rubbing shoulders with large glass and chrome temples of commerce.


Hyderabad's 400-year-old culinary history, like its culture, is unmatched by any other state in India. In fact Hyderabad was known for the spectacular way its aristocracy entertained. Of all the Muslim cuisine, Hyderabadi is the only cuisine of the sub-continent that can boast of a major vegetarian element. This has much to do with the local influences. Considering that the elite of the erstwhile Hyderabad state came from the north of India and was almost entirely Muslim, this is a little surprising. The nation's vegetarians, of course, stand to gain by it.

Some of the salient features of Hyderabadi food are the key flavours of coconut, tamarind, peanuts and sesame seeds. The key spice is chilli, which is used in abundance and is the reason for the sobriquet "Dynamite Food". Other culinary delights of Hyderabad include 'Gosht', which is kid or baby goat, and is more or less, synonymous with Hyderabadi food. 'Murgh', which is chicken, is the second favourite. When it comes to gosht, Hyderabadis prize the meat of the male goat.

The history of Hyderabad begins with the establishment of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Quli Qutb Shah seized the reins of power from the Bahamani kingdom in 1512 and established the fortress city of Golconda. Inadequacy of water, and frequent epidemics of plague and cholera persuaded Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah to venture outward to establish new city with the Charminar at its centre and with four great roads fanning out four cardinal directions. Hyderabad's fame, strategic location and Golconda's legendary wealth attracted Aurangazeb who captured Golconda after a long seize in 1687. After this defeat the importance of Hyderabad declined and the city fell into partial ruins. As the Moghul empire decayed and began to disintegrate, the viceroy, Asaf Jah I proclaimed himself the Nizam and established independence rule of the Deccan. Hyderabad once again became a major capital city, ruled by successive Nizams of the Asaf Jahi dynasty until the state was merged into Indian Union in 1948.

Popular Hyderabad Attractions

Arch of Triumph of the East (Charminar)
A masterpiece of Qutub Shahi architecture, this is an imposing square structure with four minarets piercing the sky. The surrounding area features a large number of shops and street vendors selling vaiours goods and items.

Salar Jung Museum
A historical museum displaying 35,000 rare objets d’art; the collection comprises jade, gem-studded boxes, marble statues, ancient manuscripts, miniature paintings, arms and armour, Chinese porcelain, and a fascinating collection of old clocks.

Golconda Fort
One of the most magnificent granite fortress complexes in India, where a simple clap at the entrance gate can be heard 61 metres away. A city within the fortress’ walls was infamous for its diamond trade. Legend avows that the world’s famous Kohinoor Diamond was discovered nearby.

Hussain Sagar
A picturesque large lake separating the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, the Hussain Sagar is a man-made lake, built on a tributary of the River Musi. A 16-metre high monolithic Buddha statue stands amidst the shimmering waters of this magnificent lake, and the Hussain Sagar connects with the beautiful Lumbini Park from one side.

Mecca Masjid
A glorious stone-sculptured mosque, with a courtyard capable of hosting a crowd of ten thousand worshippers, the Mecca Masjid is an edifice worth visiting because of its heritage and architectural splendour.

Ramoji Film City
The world’s largest movie studio, this artificially created film-maker’s paradise boasts of 2000 acres worth of mountains, hills, lakes, parks and recreations of almost everything in the world that’s of use to a movie.

Salar Jung Museum
Houses the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world and is recognised by the Indian parliament as a place of national importance. The diverse collection available at the museum includes European, Asian, and Far Eastern objects of antique value.

Sanghi Temple
A celebrated temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara, this abode of the deities is located on the hillock commonly referred to as the Paramanand Giri. The devotees can enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the grounds of this temple, which features a raja gopuram of 15-feet in height.

Snow World
The Snow World is the world’s largest and India’s first snow-themed amusement park. The country, well-known for its high temperatures and summer conditions throughout the year, welcomed this park with great enthusiasm and is it’s now a great attraction in Hyderabad.

Nagarjunasagar-Nagarjunakonda
The excavated remains of an ancient Buddhist settlement dating back to the 3rd century BC, this is among the most visited attractions in Hyderabad. Evidence of one of the earliest hydro-electric projects in South India is available here.

Qutb Shahi Tombs
The tombs erected in the memory of the departed kings of Golconda are truly magnificent monuments that have stood the test of time

Falaknuma Palace (Mirror in the Sky)
A royal palace belonging to the Nizam dominion of Hyderabad, the architectural style of the palace is Italian and the stone-marble structure houses rare treasures of value to the heritage of the city and country.

Birla Mandir
An arresting site built entirely out of marble from Rajasthan , the blend of architecture used to design temple include South Indian, Rajasthani and Utkal temple styles.

Tank Bund
Hyderabad's most popular promenade, it’s lined with 33 statues of famous Indian trial-blazers. This lake is a popular venue for many water sport events. The water of the Hussain Sagar is controlled by the Tank Bund.