This beautiful building, dating back to 1891, has 500,000 books in Urdu, Sanskrit, Telegu and English in reading rooms that are as atmospheric as they are dusty.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
5.04 MILES
Hyderabad's most impressive sight, this monumental fort lies on the western edge of town. In the 16th century the Qutb Shahs made Golconda a fortified…
0.91 MILES
Hyderabad’s principal landmark and city symbol was built by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 to commemorate the founding of Hyderabad and the end of…
9 MILES
The subject of one of India's most ambitious heritage projects, these magnificent domed granite tombs form part of a huge archaeological park that is…
1.13 MILES
This opulent 18th- and 19th-century palace compound, the main residence of several nizams, comprises several grandiose buildings and four garden…
2.78 MILES
The aristocratic Paigah family, purportedly descendants of the second Caliph of Islam, were fierce loyalists of the nizams, serving as statespeople,…
1.35 MILES
This is perhaps the most famous dargah (Sufi shrine) in Hyderabad, the resting place of two Sufi saints. Qawwali singers and musicians gather here every…
3.77 MILES
This noncommercial 'inclusive cultural space' is an open centre that hosts plays, films, musical events, exhibitions, organic markets and lectures; some…
0.7 MILES
The Purani Haveli was a home of the sixth nizam, Mahbub Ali Khan (r 1869–1911). He was rumoured to have never worn the same thing twice: hence the 54m…
Nearby Hyderabad attractions
0.28 MILES
This vast collection was amassed by Mir Yousuf Ali Khan (Salar Jung III), who was briefly grand vizier to the seventh nizam. The 39 galleries include…
0.29 MILES
Built by the seventh nizam in Indo-Saracenic style, this landmark was completed in 1919.
0.4 MILES
The 1594 Badshahi Ashurkhana (literally Royal House of Mourning) was one of the first structures built by the Qutb Shahs in their new city of Hyderabad…
0.52 MILES
A landmark structure built by the seventh nizam in Indo-Saracenic style on the south bank of the Musi River.
0.64 MILES
On the east side of Patthargatti, the (mainly) wholesale vegetable market of Mir Alam Mandi has all kinds of fresh produce sold by market traders. There…
0.7 MILES
The Purani Haveli was a home of the sixth nizam, Mahbub Ali Khan (r 1869–1911). He was rumoured to have never worn the same thing twice: hence the 54m…
0.78 MILES
The Charkaman (Four Arches) area is named after four Qutb Shahi arches on and off Patthargatti, focused on the Gulzar Houz fountain.
0.88 MILES
This palatial Palladian residence, built in 1803–06 by James Achilles Kirkpatrick, the British Resident (official East India Company representative) in…