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Photo: DidierTais at English Wikipedia (Didier Tais), Attribution via Wikimedia Commons
These tombs belong to the 'Paigah' nobles (tied by blood and marriage to the Nizams) and are about 200 years old. These unique lime and mortar tombs are beautifully carved and have marble inlay work on them. Relaxing environment with bird singing.
Paigah Tombs or Maqbara Shams al-Umara, are the tombs belonging to the nobility of Paigah family, who were fierce loyalists of the Nizams, served as statespeople, philanthropists and generals under and alongside them. The Paigah tombs are among the major wonders of Hyderabad State which are known for their architectural excellence as shown in their laid mosaic tiles and craftsmanship. Since it was Amir-e-Kabir H.E. Nawab Sir Khursheed Jah Bahadur who built the Paigah Tombs, he gave special preference in terms of construction to his immediate family. Of all the arches at Paigah Tombs, it is only the arch of his family's tomb that is bigger compared to the others. The entire necropolis was built earlier then the architecture would have been the same for all the tombs but instead in terms of architectural beauty, the tomb of Nawab Sir Khursheed Jah's family was given special preference. The largest arch and the double maqbara inside known as "Mahajar" cannot be seen inside any other tomb and also to mention the beautifully decorated stucco work in the tomb of Lateefunnisa Begum Saheba is not found in any other tomb. The tombstone of Lateefunnisa Begum Saheba, on which is already mentioned was built by Nawab Sir Khursheed Jah Bahadur. "Lateefunnisa Begum Saheba Jid'de Mohammed Mohiuddin Khan Khursheed Jah Tayyari ye Mohammed Mohiuddin Khan Khursheed Jah Bahadur." The word "Jid'de" over here would mean Grandmother of Sir Khursheed Jah Bahadur and "Tayyari'ye Mohammed Mohiuddin Khan Khursheed Jah Bahadur" would mean "Prepared by Khursheed Jah Bahadur." Inside this tomb are the graves of Nawab Sir Khursheed Jah Bahadur's immediate family members. Shahzadi Hussainunnisa Begum (Wife), Shahzadi Hashmatunnisa Begum (Mother), Amir-e-Kabir Nawab Mohammed Rasheeduddin Khan Bahadur (Father) and Hussaini Begum. The Paigah's necropolis is located in a quiet neighbourhood 4 km southeast of Charminar Hyderabad, at Phisal banda suburb, down a small lane across from Owaisi Hospital near Santosh Nagar. These tombs are made out of lime and mortar with beautiful inlaid marble carvings. These tombs are 200 years old and represent the final resting places of several generations of the Paigah Nobles.
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The four hundred cemetery houses a total of 20 graves (19 Armenian and 1 Dutch). The cemetery consists of a series of scattered graves with no pattern. Both the pavilions house several graves, probably from the same family. The cemetery is not maintained and often locked.
Michel Raymond, a French mercenary, was a military commander in the service of the second Nizam and also his close friend. He died in 1798 and was buried on top of a hillock at Tirumala Hills, Malakpet. The tomb consists of a pillared flat-roofed pavilion representing the Greek Palace of Winds and next to it stood an obelisk.
Masarrat Mahal Palace
It was originally the palace of the Nizam's Prime Minister. It was later renovated and became the quarters of the Nizam's son. It is a U-shaped complex with a single-storeyed building in the European style. The palace also houses the Nizam Museum, which is dedicated to the last Nizam of Hyderabad. It is home to the famous wardrobe of Mahbub Ali Pasha, who is said never to have worn the same thing twice. It is the world's longest wardrobe, built in two levels with a hand-cranked wooden lift (elevator) in place. This occupies the entire length of one wing of the palace. Hard to find, take small road next to Princess Durru Shehwar Hospital, entrance gate.
It is a specialised botanical garden, which features only one family of plants: the palms. The garden's collection contains all six subfamilies within the family Arecaceae, with a total of about 120 varieties of 250 trees.
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.