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Photo: Suraj Garg, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
One of the oldest mosques in the city, and easily the biggest. Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah began building it in 1617 under the supervision of Mir Faizullah Baig and Rangiah Choudhary. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb completed the construction in 1694. The mosque is a granite giant with awe-inspiring innards. The main hall of the mosque is 75 feet high, 220 feet wide and 180 feet long, big enough to accommodate 10,000 worshippers at a time. It is believed that Muhammed Quli commissioned bricks to be made with the soil brought from Mecca and inducted them into the construction of the central arch of the mosque, which explains the name of the mosque. The arched facades have been carved from a single piece of granite. Women must mandatorily have dupatta / shawl to get entry into the premises. Women can not wear skin-tight pants or leggings into the mosque, so wear something loose-fitted.
Mecca Masjid, also called Makkah Masjid, is a mosque located in Hyderabad in the state of Telangana, India. It is the largest mosque in the city, and one of the largest in the country, with a capacity of 10,000 worshippers. The mosque was built during the 17th century, and is a state-protected monument. It was completed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1694 CE. It serves as the primary mosque for the Old City of Hyderabad, and is located close to the historic landmarks of Charminar, Chowmahalla Palace and Laad Bazaar.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Literally "four minarets" (char means "four" and minar means "minaret"). Quli Qutb Shah built the Charminar in 1591 at the very spot at which he prayed to end the plague epidemic. The Charminar, made of pulverised marble, limestone, mortar and granite, has long been the icon of Hyderabad. The towers rise to a height of 48.7 m above the ground. It has 140 steps. Graffiti on the walls have diminished the beauty of the Charminar. There is a mosque with 45 prayer spaces located inside in the upper storeys. The structure stands in the middle of a busy road. The traffic has been stopped and the area is pedestrian access only. Atop the minarets, you get a panoramic view of Hyderabad; to reach the top of the monument, there are 149 winding steps to the upper floor. At the very bottom of one of the minar, there is a Hindu temple. The traffic is terrible. Plan an early morning trip around 9AM if shopping is not on the to do list. There is a separate entry way for foreigners.
It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors. The palace consists of a row of four courtyards, with a grand pillared Durbar Hall in the centre. The hall has a pure marble platform on which the Takht-e-Nishan or royal seat was laid for ceremonies, lit by 19 chandeliers.
A five-storied architectural clock tower which was built in 1892. The clock tower is erected in the midst of the small garden; it has four large clocks on its sides which enable the time to be seen from any direction. The clock tower is designed in the Turkish style.
Khursheed Jah Bahadari
A European styled architectural palace, once home to the Paigah nobles. The palace is in shambles as of 2017 due to neglect. The gardens blossomed with flowers and fountains making the ambiance livelier.
High Court for the State of Telangana
Founded by the 7th Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan as the High Court of Hyderabad. This is one of the finest buildings in the city, built in red and white stones in Saracenic style. The plan of the high court was drawn up by Shankar Lal of Jaipur and the local engineer who executed the design was Mehar Ali Fazil. The high court has jurisdiction over the state of Telangana since 2014. The building looks beautiful and impressive from the Nayapul at sunset.
A mourning place for Shia Muslims, built in 1594.