Excursion

Monuments

Asman Garh Palace:
The palace was designed and built by Sir Osman Jah, a noble belonging to the Paigah family and one time Prime Minister of Hyderabad State. The granite turrets and arched windows of Asman Garh stand atop a hill some distance ahead of the Hyderabad TV tower. The palace now houses an archaeological museum.

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Charminar:
A splendid piece of architecture standing in the heart of the city built by Quli Qutub Shah, in 1591. This magnificent monument is the unique symbol of Hyderabad. It is a magnificent square edifice of granite, built upon four grand arches facing North, South, East and West. These arches support two floors of rooms and gallery of archways. At each corner of the square structure is a minaret rising to a height of 24 meters, making the building nearly 54 meters tall. It is these four (char) minarets (minar) that give the building, its name Charminar. Each minar stands on a lotus-leaf base, a special recurrent motif in Qutub Shahi buildings. The first floor was used as a madarasa (college) during the Qutub Shahi period. The second floor has a mosque on the western side, the dome of which is visible from the road, if one stands some distance away. The grounds are now being used for the development of a large commercial complex. Further down, a road to the left leads to the Khilawat Complex (Chowmahalla Palace). The Lad Bazaar road terminates in a square called Mahaboob Chowk where a large 19th century clock-tower looms over a delicate white mosque of the same period.

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Falaknuma Palace:
Falaknuma Palace is situated in Falaknuma, about 4 km South of Charminar. It stands on a hill overlooking the city of Hyderabad. Falaknuma served as the royal guest house for the rulers of Hyderabad, King George and Queen Mary, king Edward-VIII, then Prince of Wale. Falaknuma palace is a masterpiece designed by an Italian architect. The marble used was specially imported from Italy.

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Golconda Fort:
Golconda fort of Andhra Pradesh is a majestic monument, which lies on the western outskirts of Hyderabad city. Golconda is one of the famous forts of India. The name originates from the Telugu words "Golla Konda" meaning "Shepherd's Hill". It speaks of a great cultural heritage of 400 years and is regarded as a place worth visiting. The origins of the fort can be traced back to the Kakatiyas period Golconda was originally a mud fort, which passed to the Bahmani dynasty and later to the Qutb Shahis, who held it from 1518 to 1687 A.D.

The first three Qutb Shahi kings rebuilt Golconda, over a span of 62 years. Golconda is built on a granite hill 120m high, and is surrounded by crenulated ramparts constructed of large masonry blocks weighing several tonnes. The design of the ventilation reveals the brilliant planning of the architects; they are designed to let in a flow of fresh cool breeze, which is a respite from the heat of summer. The magnificent architecture of the Golconda fort is manifest in its acoustic system, the structural grandeur of the palaces and ingenious water supply system. The fort was famous for its diamond trade and the 'Kohinoor' diamond is said to have come from here. The massive gates are studded with large pointed iron spikes to prevent elephants from battering them down. The outer wall surrounding the entire township of Golconda, is about 11-km long, and is strongly fortified. The fort is famous for its acoustics, palaces, factories, 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.

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