Top 10 Things to do in Hyderabad

Well, we know how Charminar plays an important role in landmarking Hyderabad. To provide further details, it was built in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, to commemorate the founding of the city of Hyderabad. He was impressed by the natural beauty of the location and chose it as the site for his new city. The Charminar is a square structure with four arches facing the cardinal directions. The central arch houses a mosque, with four minarets standing at the corners. 

The Charminar is a popular tourist attraction and is one of the city's most iconic landmarks.

If you are wondering where Bollywood films "Dil To Pagal Hai" and the 1998 Telugu film "Prema Katha Chitram'' were hosted then Ramoji Film City is your answer. The film city is named after Ramoji Rao, who is also the founder of the Eenadu group of newspapers. The group's flagship newspaper, "Eenadu", is headquartered in Hyderabad. Perhaps, it is the world's largest integrated film city, with a total area of 1,666 acres.

 

The city has over 50 sound stages, the largest outdoor stage in the world, and an amusement park. Ramoji Rao originally planned to build a theme park, but the project grew into a full-fledged film city. The city cost Rs. 1,600 crore (US$240 million) to build, and took three years to complete. The film city is also home to the Ramoji Rao Film and Television Academy, which offers courses in film and television production.

It was in the year 1996 that the film city opened to the public on 15 October 1996 and till today it receives massive traction from the visitors. 

Another iconic spot of Hyderabad is the Golconda Fort. It was originally built as a mud-walled and timber-reinforced citadel by the Kakatiya dynasty in the 12th century. The city of Golconda was founded by the Kakatiyas in the 12th century CE. The fortress was located on the eastern side of the city and was built to protect the city from the Muslim invasions from the north. It has witness multiple invasions by eminent historic figures like Muhammad bin Tughluq, Bahmani Sultanate and Qutb Shahi dynasty, Mughal Empire and lastly the British East India Company. The fort has a circumference of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) and is surrounded by a 6-meter-high (20 ft) wall. The fort has nine gates and 128 bastions.

The Golconda Fort was used as a military barracks by the British East India Company. The fort is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

By-lined with the popular Islamic site Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the mosque has been coined. The Mecca Masjid is located in Hyderabad and is one of the largest and oldest mosques in India. The mosque was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty.The mosque features a large courtyard, and four minarets.

One of the interesting sites to visit is the Koti Residency. It is a heritage hotel in Hyderabad, Telangana, and is located close to the Charminar. The hotel was built in the 19th century by Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad. It was originally known as Koti Mahal which was then used as the residence of the Nizams and was originally used as a summer palace for the Nizam
The hotel was renovated in the 1990s and soon converted into a heritage hotel. Today the hotel is popular among celebrities and politicians. Many commercials and movies and daily soaps were filmed in this heritage hotel like "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" and "Don”, advertisement campaign for "Cadbury Dairy Milk”, "Hero MotoCorp", "Samsung Galaxy S6" and many more.

Hyderabad is dotted with numerous historic places and the Chowmahalla Palace is one of them. It is a palace located in Hyderabad and was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, who ruled Hyderabad State from 1724 to 1948. The palace was constructed by the fourth Nizam, Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, in 1869. 
It is constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style, and has a mixture of Islamic, Persian, Mughal and European elements. The main entrance is through a large arched gate, which leads to a courtyard.

 

The courtyard is surrounded by a number of buildings, including the main palace, the women's quarters, the armoury and the stables. The main palace has a number of rooms, including the durbar hall, the audience hall, the private quarters and the Zenana (women's) quarters. The armoury has a collection of arms and armour, and the stables have a collection of horses and carriages. The Chowmahalla Palace is now a museum, and the Durbar Hall is used for cultural events.

Traveling without shopping is definitely an incomplete one, but if it is jinxed with historical stories it make it even more appealing. Laad Bazaar is a traditional shopping area in Hyderabad, located near the Charminar and is known for its bangles, pearls, and jewellery. The market was set up in the 16th century by the Qutb Shahi dynasty which was then known as the "Naya Bazaar" (New Market). The British renamed it the "Laad Bazaar" (String Bazaar) because of the strings of pearls and other jewellery sold there. It is also a major centre for the sale of pearls.

The bazaar is said to have been founded in the 16th century by Mir Momin, a merchant from Bukhara. It is now home to over 2,000 shops, and is visited by around 100,000 shoppers each day.

The next on the list is the KBR National Park. It is a protected area that is home to a variety of flora and fauna. The park is divided into three zones: the core area, buffer area, and tourism area. The core area is the most restricted and is only open to researchers and scientists. The buffer area is open to the public and has a variety of facilities, including a visitor center, a museum, and a nature trail. 
The tourism area has a variety of restaurants and shops.

 

The park is known for its diverse wildlife, including tigers, leopards, deer, and snakes. KBR National Park is a beautiful and well-known national park in Hyderabad. It was established in 2007 and is spread over an area of 6.8 square kilometers. The park is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, and is a popular tourist destination.

Visiting Chilkur Balaji Temple is one of the go to thing to do in Hyderabad. It is a Hindu temple located in Chilkur, Hyderabad and is also known as Visa Balaji Temple, as it is believed that the blessings of the deity here can help one obtain a visa to travel abroad.
The temple was founded in 1985 by P. V. N. Murthy and is reported that around 35,000 people visit the temple every day, and that over 10 million people have visited the temple in total. Well, that is certainly an interesting figure!

The temple complex consists of a main temple building, a hall, and a garden. The main temple building houses the deity of Chilkur Balaji. The hall is used for prayers and religious ceremonies, and the garden is used for meditation.

The temple is open from 6:00am to 10:00pm.

Well, you must be tired of scrolling, but there is one more yet and that is definitely the Hyderabadi Biryani! Biryani is a popular dish in Hyderabad. It is made of cooked rice and meat, vegetables, or fish. Biriyani is usually served with raita, a type of yogurt sauce, and achar, a type of pickled vegetables. Biriyani is a dish which originated in the kitchens of the Nizam of Hyderabad. The Nizam was an Indian Muslim ruler who ruled over Hyderabad State from 1724 to 1948. Biriyani is a popular dish in Hyderabad and you will notice an array of  restaurants in Hyderabad that serves this age-old recipe.