Secunderabad is a city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated about 10 km on the east of its
Twin city Hyderabad. The two cities are connected by the road on the bund of the beautiful Hussain Sagar Lake. The city has a big parade ground, race course and polo ground. It is said that the British had one of their largest military establishments here. There is an observatory and the Saifabad Palace on the east of Hussain Sagar Lake here. Another big building here is the
Rashtrapati Nilayam at Bolarum ,Which acts as the living quarters of the President whenever the president visits the place.
A large number of historic monuments can be seen around the city. Some of the places of tourist interest in Secunderabad are given here:
Mecca Masjid in Secunderabad
Mecca Masjid in Secunderabad
This Masjid has a similarity with the majestic one at Mecca. It is of 67 meter and 54 meter in length and breadth and 23 meter in height. The roof of this sacred hall is supported by a quarter dozen beautiful arches. It has an enormous wall, two huge octagonal columns made out of a single granite piece and a beautiful gallery under a dome. Almost ten thousand devotees can enter this spacious grand Mosque at a time. It is regarded as one of the largest Mosques in India. The interior and exterior designs are also done very carefully.
Golconda Fort in Secunderabad
This fort is situated about 11 km from the Secunderabad city. The Kakatiyas built this fort in the 13th century. This place has come into view over the years as a popular centre of diamond trade. The historic cannon known as the
Azhdaha Paikarcannon can be seen on the south-east of the fort. This cannon was used by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. It was capable of firing shots of 40 kg in weight.
Qutub Shahi Tombs in Secunderabad
These Shahi tombs are dome topped and have a square base surrounded by pointed arches. They reflect the third and final stage of the 17th century architecture. These tombs are situated about a kilometer from the fort. These tombs have galleries of one storey and two stories. The original colours of the tiles laid in the domes were blue and green. But most of them have lost the colour today. The visitors are allowed from 09:30 hrs to 16:30 hrs and remains closed on Fridays.
Salarjung Museum in Secunderabad
This Museum was constructed by Salarjung III, the Prime Minister of the former Nizams. The tourists can see ancient articles of arts and paintings of different parts of the world here. The belongings of historic emperors like Aurangzeb, Tipu Sultan, Shah Jahan, Asaf Jahis, etc. can be seen in displayed in a room of this museum. The visitors are allowed to enter inside the fort from 10:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs. It remains closed on Fridays.
Paigah Tombs in Secunderabad
The tombs found here are 200 years old. These tombs can be seen at Santhosh Nagar. These are made out of lime and mortar with beautiful inlaid marble carvings.
Asman Garh Palace in Secunderabad
This impressive palace is located on a beautiful hillock. The name of the palace was derived from the name of its builder called Sir
Asman Jah, a noble from the
Paigah family. He was also the Prime Minister of Hyderabad state. It is made of granite and arched windows.
Tag: Gardens,Temples