Hyderabad Map
Hyderabad is the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. As it is called the city of pearls, it is safe to call Hyderabad the pearl of Andhra Pradesh. The city is situated on the banks of Musi River and is also the largest city in the state. As per the 2011 census, the population of Hyderabad is 7,749,334 making it the fourth most populated city in India. The city of Hyderabad was established in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the 5th sultan of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty of Golkonda. Since then many empires and dynasties have ruled over the city.
Throughout history, the city has been a local cultural hub for architecture, art, literature and cuisine. Consequently, the place became a popular tourist destination as it had many places of interest, like Charminar, Chowmahalla Palace, Golkonda fort, etc. There are several museums in the city including Nizam Museum, Salar Jung Museum and AP State Archaeology Museum. The city is also known for its historical bazaars such as Madina Circle, Laad Bazar, Begum Bazaar and Sultan Bazaar. The city is well-known for its distinctive culinary especially the Hyderabadi biryani and haleem.
In the past, Hyderabad was recognized for its pearl and diamond trading centers. However, industrialization has brought major changes to manufacturing, financial and research institutions in the city. Emergence of modern pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries earned the city with titles of “Genome Valley of India” and “India’s pharmaceutical capital”. The Telugu film industry a.k.a. “Tollywood” is also based in Hyderabad and is the second biggest film industry in India after “Bollywood” in Mumbai.
As per Lonely Planet travel guide book, Hyderabad is the third best city in the world to visit in 2013. Last year, the Indian Union Tourism Ministry also declared Hyderabad as the “Best Heritage City of India”. There are many tourist attractions in Hyderabad. Some of the tourist attractions are: Charminar, Golconda Fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Mecca Masjid, birla Mandir, Ratnalayam Temple, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Hussain Sagar, Nehru zoological park, NTR Gardens and Lumbini Park amongst others.
