List of tourist attractions in Hyderabad

The tourism industry forms an important role in the economy of Hyderabad. Tourism-related fairs are held regularly,

• Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah as a memorial for plague victims. Charminar, on most occasions, is used to represent the city and the state and is hailed as a unique Deccan monument. It is in the midst of Charkaman which are four archways to roads leading in all four directions from the Charminar monument.^[9]
• Mecca Masjid
  – A symbolic mosque, Mecca Masjid was built 400 years ago during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Qutub Shah, the 6th Qutub Shahi Sultan of Hyderabad. The three-arched facade has been carved from a single piece of granite, which took five years to quarry. More than 8,000 workers were employed to build the mosque. Muhammed Qutub Shah personally laid the foundation stone.

• Golconda Fort – Once abandoned by Qutub Shahis, Golconda Fort is one of the most magnificent fortress complexes in India. Seated on a hill on one side and spiraling fort on the other, its location and internal design made it one of the strongest forts in India.^[10]
• Qutub Shahi dynasty
  , located at Shaikpet, near Golconda Fort. These are an example of Deccan architecture with large minarets, huge domes, delicate marble designs and multiple inner passages.
• Nizams
  .
• Paigah Nawab
  in 1906.
• Hayat Bakshi Mosque, Hayathnagar – Built by one of the most prolific women during the rule of the Qutb Shahis, Hayat Begum (Ma Saheba), the mosque is located in a complex that houses a caravan sarai and large well popularly called the Hathi Bowli.^[11]

Palaces

• Paigah nobles, Nawab Viqar al-Umra', complete with Italian marble, Louis XIV
  -style decor, a Mughal ambience, Italian marble staircases and ornate fountains. It has now been undertaken by Taj group to develop this as a heritage hotel. It had taken 9 years to build the palace, from 1884 to 1893. The library in the Palace is said to be as majestic as the one in the Windsor Castle. One of the main attractions of the palace is the 100 seater table that is 108 feet long
• Durbar Hall. It has now been aesthetically renovated and is also a venue for conferences.^[12]
• Asman Garh Palace – It was designed personally and built by the erstwhile Prime Minister of Hyderabad state Sir Asman Jah in 1885 on a hillock for his leisure. It is based on Gothic architecture and is in the shape of a European medieval castle. The palace presently hosts a museum displaying archaeological relics.
• Golkonda
  as an ode to his favourite courtesan, Taramati. The baradari with 12 doorways were to allow cross ventilation, considered to be the most ingenious technique at the time. Similar structures like Premavati and Bhagmati can be seen from here.
• Purani Haveli – It was the official residence of the Nizam's parents.
• Mir Osman Ali Khan
  lived here.
• Bella Vista, Hyderabad - It was a royal palace of the Nizams built in 1910. It is an Indo-European building standing on a 10-acre (40,000 m2) verdant area. The building's French architect christened it as Bella Vista, meaning beautiful sight, since it overlooks the Hussain sagar lake. It is located in Saifabad suburb. It was modelled on Henley-on-Thames in England. It now houses the Administrative staff college of India.

Religious places

• Makkah
  .
• Charminar – It is not well known that this is a mosque (masjid). It used to have a fountain on its roof, like Gulzar Houz, nearby.
• Asaf Jah I
  which is a part of a public garden.
• Birla Mandir
  – a Hindu temple made of white marble located on top of a hill overlooking the city.
• Sanghi Temple – A temple dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara graces a promontory overlooking Sanghi Nagar, near Ramoji Film City.
• Chilkur Balaji Temple
  – It is located at himayat nagar, west side of the Gandipet. It is a temple of Lord Venketeshwara.
• Jagannath Temple – located near Banjara hills Road no.12 in Hyderabad. It is famous for its annual Rathyatra festival.
• Sri Lakshminarasimha Swamy Temple – Located 60 km from Hyderabad is the Hindu Temple of Narasimha Swamy, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The annual brahmotsavam held in March includes Yedurkolu, The Celestial Wedding and Divya Vimana Rathotsavam.^[13]
  The birthday of Lord Narasimha is celebrated on 28 April. Lord Narasimha is also known as Yadagiri, hence the name.
• Goddess Saraswati, the deity of education in Hinduism
  .
• Spanish Mosque
• Dargah Yousufain
• Pahadi Shareef
• Khairtabad Mosque
• Toli Masjid

Museums and planetarium

• The
  Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar has been installed on 11.4 acres, adjoining the banks of historic Hussain Sagar lake and the new Telangana state secretariat.^[14][15] The statue of Dr B R Ambedkar stands tall in his signature pose atop the country’s parliament house, which takes the overall height to 175 feet. It is the fourth tallest statue in India. The circular edifice resembling the parliament of India, also house a museum, library and an audio-visual hall across a 20,000 sq ft area to commemorate the life and times of Ambedkar. On 14 April 2023, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao unveiled a 125-feet tall bronze statue of Dr B. R. Ambedkar at the Hussain Sagar lake on his 132nd birth anniversary.^[16]

• Salar Jung Museum – The museum houses the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world. Collections include The Veiled Rebecca and other huge collections of artefacts dating back several centuries. Apart from galleries, there is a reference library, reading room, publication and education section, chemical conservation lab, sales counter, cafeteria etc.
• City Museum, Hyderabad – This museum is newly inaugurated. Muffakham Jah, the grandson of the last ruler of Hyderabad State, said that "The history of Hyderabad was always over shadowed as most historians tended to focus on Moghul rule". The museum has brought nearly 4,000 years of history of the city, through archaeological evidence such as the neolithic pots, megalithic sites, European styled terracotta figurines, coins of Satvahana period among others.^[17][18][19]
• Telangana State Archaeology Museum – This is an archaeological museum located inside public gardens.
• Surendrapuri – Surendrapuri is a museum located about 60 km from Hyderabad. The museum is also known as Mythological Awareness Centre. As the name indicates, it was established to create an awareness of Indian mythology.

• Birla Science Museum – The science centre reflects the advances made in science and technology. The interior décor matches the architectural exterior of the centre built over 10,000 sq ft (930 m²). The centre is host to a number of divisions such as the Planetarium, the Science Museum, and the centre for Applied Mathematics and Computer Sciences.
• Birla Planetarium – The Planetarium is a building with a big dome resembling that of the Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur and some of the earliest government structures in New Delhi. A special attraction are the shows which unveil the mysteries of the cosmos and the origins of the universe, comets, eclipses, unidentified flying objects and the clash of titans. The latest addition is the Dinosaurium, which houses a collection of dinosaur egg fossils. The highlight of the museum is a mounted Kotasaurus yamanpalliensis
  , the remains of a 160-million-year-old dinosaur.
• Purani Haveli – located near afzal gunj bridge, is a single-storied building with European architecture. The museum's attractions include the nizam's walk-in wardrobe, hand-operated lift, etc. This was the residence of a peshwa of Quli qutub shah, which was later taken over by the Asaf Jah (the second nizam)
• Chowmahalla Palace – Renowned for its architectural beauty and intricately crafted walls, this was a building where the guests of the Asaf Jah dynasty were entertained.

Lakes of Hyderabad

• Tank Bund
  which consists of gardens and statues of famous personalities. Boating and water sports are a regular feature at the lake.
• Osman Ali Khan
  , hence the name. Its parks, resorts, amusement park are a major attraction. Today, the lake is used for public recreation only.
• Durgam Cheruvu – also called The Secret Lake, it is a peaceful boulevard near the bustling Madhapur.
• Himayat Sagar – It is the twin lake to Osman Sagar, Gandipet Lake.
• Shamirpet Lake – is situated 24 km north of Secunderabad. It attracts bird watchers and weekend picnickers. There is also a deer park belonging to the state government near the lake.
• Hyderabad Deccan.^[20]
• Khajaguda Talab - linear-shaped lake situated near to Engineering Staff College of India and CARE Hospitals.

Parks and gardens

• NTR Gardens – This leisure spot is located beside the IMAX theatre. Situated on 36 acres (150,000 m²) adjoining the Hussain Sagar, these gardens provide entertainment and recreation. There are tree-top restaurants and architecture.^{[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]}
• Indira Park – Indira Park is situated in the Lower Tank bund of Hyderabad city. This newly built park is spread over 76 acres (310,000 m²) of lush green area and it lies alongside the Hussain Sagar.
• Kondapur
  are spread across a sprawling area of 274 acres (1.11 km²), housing different varieties of herbs, plants, trees etc. with water bodies, meadows and rich grasslands. Night Safari Park is adjacent to the gardens.
• Hussain sagar lake and the 1500 seater Laserium, the first of its kind in the state. A major terrorist act took place here on 25 August 2007 in which 44 people were killed.^[30][31]
• Lotus Pond – is a garden built around a pond situated in Jubilee Hills
  , said to have been designed by an Italian designer. This garden is currently maintained by the Municipal Corporation. It is also home to a few rare species of birds.
• Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park – Located near Vanasthalipuram, previously it was a hunting (shikari) spot for Nizams; it is now a picnic spot. Nischalvan Eco-tourism project is located here.
• Public Gardens

• Nehru Zoological Park – This zoo is a natural habitat, occupying 380 acres, housing a large variety of animals, birds, nocturnal species, aquatic and amphibian species. Located close to the zoo is the Mir Alam Sagar, which is proposed to be converted into an Aquarium similar to that in Sentosa, Singapore. Its unique feature is the 21 in-built masonry dams that are jewel-shaped, which were built in 1804 by Henry Russle, a French engineer in British service.^[32]
• Outer Ring Road is a flyover through this national park
  .
• KBR National Park – A sanctuary for peacocks and anteaters along with many other species including monkeys and snakes, the sanctuary is the green space of the richest area of the city, Jubilee Hills.

Shopping Malls and modern places

• Hitech City, Hyderabad
  .
• financial business district located in Hyderabad, Telangana
  , India.

Others

• Guinness Book of World Records
  for being the largest film studio in the world. Opened in 1996, it is about a 20-minute drive from Hyderabad on Vijayawada Highway.
• Ravindra Bharati
  – The stage for all performing arts, especially for those enhancing the state and Indian cultures. Shows are held almost every evening throughout the year which include musical and dance performances, drama, award ceremonies and special government events.
• Sanjeevaiah park. This has become the-place-to-be for the Hyderabadis in the evenings. This strip has lush lawns and long rows of flower beds. The latest addition to this strip is the Jalavihar
  , a mini water world designed to soothe the senses. PV Ghat is also situated here, in memory of the late Shri PV Narasimha Rao.
• Wonderla Amusement Park - It was launched on January 20, 2018 by Managing Director Arun K Chittilappilly and Chief Executive Officer DS Sachdeva.[33] Its most notable ride is Recoil, a reverse looping roller coaster.
• Snow World - It is an amusement park located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India located beside Indira Park and along the Hussain Sagar lake.
• Chudi Bazaar
  , this is on the west of Charminar, and is known for its bangles, jewellery and pearls.
• Hyderabad Pearls
  – Hyderabad has always been referred to as the "city of pearls" even though it is far away from the sea. Some of the famous pearl shops in Hyderabad are in Charminar, Begumpet and M G Road.
• Shilpakala vedika
  , a conference hall built with ethnic decor as well as with all state-of-the-art facilities. Mini Shilparamam, a smaller version of Hitec City's Shilparamam which is very near to Nagol metro Station is inaugurated in Uppal on 22 June 2019
• Keesara – located east of Hyderabad. One can see the ruins of Chalukyan Era on the hill and in the museum located here. It is presently famous for its Shiva temple.
• Rachakonda
  – Located 30 km from Hyderabad, it was once the capital city of Velama kings who ruled during and after kakatiyas up to the rise of Qutubshahis. An old ruined fort is worth visiting for historical interest and for trekking. It is about 40 km from Golkonda fort.
• Treasure Island
• Sudha Cars Museum

Tourism of Telangana

• Heritage structures in Hyderabad

Outline of tourism in India

References