Char Minar
The most important landmark of the city, it was built, as the legend goes, by Mohammed Quli Qutab Shah in honour of his Hindu wife, Bhagmati, in 1591 AD. The 53 mts. tall structure now forms the centrepiece of the old city and is surrounded by crowded bazaars.
The Charminar is as much the signature of Hyderabad as the Taj Mahal is of Agra or the Eiffel Tower is of Paris. It was said to be built as a charm to ward off a deadly epidemic raging at that time. Four graceful minarets soar to a height of 48.7m above the ground. Charminar has 45 prayer spaces and a mosque in it. Visitors can view the architectural splendour inside the Charminar. The monument is illuminated in the evenings.
Mecca Masjid
Close to the Char Minar is the largest mosque of South India, the Mecca Masjid, with lofty colonnades and entrance arches made of single slabs of granite. The mosque was begun by Abdullah Qutb Shah in 1614 AD and completed by Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb in 1687. Mecca Masjid is poetry in stone, with a hall measuring 67m and soaring to a height of 54m. Fifteen graceful arches - five to each of the three sides, support the roof. Towards the southern end of the mosque lie the marble graves of members of the Asaf Jahi dynasty.
Sri Venkateswara Temple
Popularly called the Birla Minder the white marble temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara stands on one of the two hillocks, Naubat Pahad and Kala Pahad. The temple presents a beautiful sight at night when it is illuminated, standing against the dark sky.
Birla Observatory and Planetarium
It occupies the other hillock, the Naubat Pahad, from where, in the times of the Nawabs, royal edicts were read out. Birla Planetarium is India’s most modern planetarium and first of its kind in the country .It is equipped with advanced technology from Japan and is built on Naubat Pahad adjacent to Kala Pahad. And the Science Museum stands tribute to the advancement achieved by Science and Technology.
Hussain Sagar
The largest of the lakes of Hyderabad and around which the city is spread, it was built by Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah. One of the World’s tallest monolithic statues of the Buddha stands on the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’, in the middle of the lake. Added to all these, AP Tourism have additional boating facilities like speed boats, motor boats, 48 seater launch etc. Starlit dinner on-board and private parties also can be arranged on the Launch.
Nehru Zoological Park
A very fine zoo spread over 320 acres and housing over 3000 animals and birds. The other attractions of the place are a lion safari park, a natural history museum, a pre-historic animal park and a children's park with facilities of a mini-train. (Closed on Monday) It has over 250 species of animals and birds, most of which are kept in conditions as close to their natural habitats as possible. This is the first zoo to create moated enclosures for animals. The Lion Safari Park, Natural History Museum and Children’s Train are the added attractions.
Golconda Fort
Standing atop an isolation hill on the outskirts of the city, the fort is known for its acoustic effects in built in the architectural design. The original fort was built by the Kakatiyas of Warangal, some eight hundred years ago. The Qutb Shahi rulers of Hyderabad adopted for fort and converted the mud structure into solid battlements and palaces with stone over a span of 62 years. Golconda is one of the famous forts of India. The name originates from the Telugu words “Golla Konda” meaning “Shepherd’s Hill. The fort is famous for its acoustics, palaces, ingenious water supply system and the famous Fateh Rahben gun, one of the cannons used in the last siege of Golconda by Aurangzeb, to whom the fort ultimately fell.
Sound & Light Show at Golconda Fort
The glorious past of Golconda Fort is narrated effectively with matchless Sound and Light effects. The unique Sound & Light Show takes you left back in time, when Golconda was full of life, glory and grandeur.
Qutb Shah Tombs
This cluster of graceful structures is the last resting place of the Qutb Shahi dynasty. Surrounded by well maintained gardens, the tombs are remarkable in their uniformity of design, each crowned by an onion-shaped dome.
Ramoji Film City
A dream world created for the celluloid on a sprawling 1000 acres, with every imaginable set and location, Ramoji Film City on the outskirts of Hyderabad offers facilities to produce any kind of movie. Apart from sets, there are hotels where artistes and technicians can stay. Visitors too can go round in conducted tours that the management organizes.