- a young prince Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah built the city so that it would be easier to reach his beloved Bhagmati, who lived across the Musi river in a village called Chichlam. The lovelorn prince once crossed the flooded Musi river to meet the object of his affection, prompting his father to build a bridge across the river called Purana Pul. The couple were married after Bhagmati accepted Islam, taking on the name Hyder Mahal, after whom the city was named. Falaknuma Palace SIR Viqar-al-Umara was prime minister of Hyderabad under Nizam Mahbub Ali Pasha. His fascination with architecture led him to build his dream house in 1884, which was completed nine years later and left him completely bankrupt. Falaknuma palace is the last word in opulence: It stands on a hill 200 feet high over an area of 300 acres, and resembles the shape of a scorpion with two stingers. Guests to the palace have included King George V of England and Queen Mary, who was surprised to see that jets in the bathroom sprayed costly perfumes and the wash basins were made of crystal! Sir Viqar barely stayed in his dream house for five years, when the Nizam expressed his admiration for the palace and chivalry dictated that Sir Viqar give it up to the Nizam. He was adequately compensated for it, and the Nizam lived there until his death in 1911. The Mekka Masjid THIS is the seventh largest mosque in the world. Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah began construction in 1614 CE, with bricks specially imported from Makkah, which make up the central arch. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb completed the mosque seventy seven years later. King Kothi THIS grand palace was owned by a noble called Kamal Khan, who in a display of flamboyance had his initials KK imprinted all over the furniture, iron grilles and even the crockery of the palace. Nizam Mahbub Ali Pasha had a penchant for ostentatious houses and wanted to buy the place, but was deterred by the owner's initials engraved all over the place. The matter was resolved when a courtier suggested that the KK could also be interpreted as King Kothi (in Urdu, kothi means a house), which would solve the ruler's dilemma. The palace was subsequently acquired and renamed King Kothi, by which it is known today. THE Nizams of Hyderabad were known for their extravagant lifestyle. One of them, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan had a 240-feet long wardrobe built, with 133 built-in cupboards to accommodate his large collection of clothes, shoes, hats and accessories. Ironically, his son Mir Osman Ali was the epitome of austerity. Inspite of being the richest man of his time, with a fortune amounting to over 500 million pounds in gold and jewels alone, he wore a scruffy old fez cap for thirty years, and locally-bought slippers that cost only a few rupees! GOLCONDA, a part of Hyderabad, was a virtual El Dorado and the diamond capital of the world. It had a diamond mine spread over 50,000 square kilometers, while the actual mining was done in Kollur, from where the famous Koh-i-noor diamond was excavated. The fabulous 240 karat gem belonged to Mir Jumla, the wealthy prime minister of Golconda, who presented it to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.It exchanged hands several times, and now resides in the Tower of London, as part of the British Crown jewels. Charminar: The Monument with Four Minarets It was built in 1590-91 by Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah. Many believe that it was built to celebrate the end of an epidemic that killed thousands in the city, after which the ruler prayed to Allah to put an end to the misery of his people. After some days, the epidemic ebbed and the monument was built to mark the site where the ruler had prayed for, and received Divine mercy. The Charminar is a perfect square, with each side measuring 20 meters. There are four arched openings on each side which are 11 meters wide and 20 meters high. The Minars have four stories and rise 54 meters above street level. Steep stone stairs reach to the monument's upper floors, which offer a panoramic view of the city. The first floor has a madrasa for children, and the second floor has a mosque with 45 prayer areas and a large open space to accommodate the Friday-prayer congregation. It is said that large quantities of egg white was used to give the Charminar's walls a smooth texture! __
