Old City | |
|---|---|
Walled city | |
       Clockwise from top: panorama of Old city,Charminar,Government Nizamia General Hospital,Mecca Masjid,Telangana High Court andDabeerpura Darwaza | |
| Nickname(s): | |
  Old City Location in Old City, Hyderabad, Telangana, India Show map of Hyderabad Old City Old City (Telangana) Show map of Telangana Old City Old City (India) Show map of India | |
| Coordinates:17°21′58″N78°28′34″E / 17.366°N 78.476°E /17.366; 78.476 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Telangana |
| Region | Deccan |
| Founded | 1592 |
| Government | |
| • Body | GHMC,HMDA |
| • Member of Parliament | Asaduddin Owaisi,AIMIM |
| • Mayor | Gadwal Vijayalakshmi,TRS |
| • Commissioner | M. Mahender Reddy,IPS |
| Area | |
• Total | 260 km2 (100 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 536 m (1,759 ft) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Telugu,Urdu |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 500 xxx |
| Telephone code | 91–40, 08413, 08414, 08415, 08418, 0845 |
| Vehicle registration | TS 07,08,09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 23, 24 |
| Planning agency | GHMC, Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority |
| Climate | Aw(Köppen) |
| Precipitation | 603 millimetres (23.7 in) |
| Avg. annual temperature | 26.0 °C (78.8 °F) |
| Avg. summer temperature | 35.9 °C (96.6 °F) |
| Avg. winter temperature | 23.5 °C (74.3 °F) |
| Website | www |
TheOld City of Hyderabad is a walled city ofHyderabad, Telangana,India, located on the banks of theMusi River built byQutb Shahi sultanMuhammed Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 AD. There used to bea wall surrounding the Old City, most of which is destroyed.[3]Mubariz Khan, the Mughal governor of Deccan Subah, had fortified the city in 1712 and was completed by Nizam of Hyderabad.[4]
At the centre of Old City is theCharminar, and region contains major neighbourhoods of the city includingShah Ali Banda,Yakutpura,Dabirpura,Afzal Gunj,Moghalpura,Malakpet andAmberpet. Today,Hyderabad has expanded far beyond the boundaries of the Old City, and the crowded Old City remains the symbolic heart of cosmopolitan Hyderabad along withHITEC City.[5][6][7] The area is a tourism hotspot, and the heart ofHyderabadi Muslim culture.
There used to be a granite wall surrounding the old city. The wall was constructed during the 17th and 18th centuries, during theQutb Shahi,Mughal andAsaf Jahi periods. The wall had thirteen gateways calleddarwazas and thirteen smaller entrances calledkhirkis.
Much of the wall was destroyed during theGreat Musi Flood of 1908, and also demolished by the Government in the 1950s and 1960s.[8]
Today, only two gates still stand – thePurana Pul Darwaza and theDabeerpura Darwaza,[9][10] and nothing except a few portions remains of the wall.[8][11][12]
As the historical region of Hyderabad, the old city contains many landmark buildings includingCharminar (literally "four minarets"), a structure built on the spot whereQuli Qutb Shah prayed for the end to a plague epidemic.
TheQutb Shahi era structures surrounding theCharminar include an ornamented granite mosqueMecca Masjid to the southwest, and theGulzar Houz fountain to the north, which is surrounded by four arch-gateways calledChar Kaman.
Asaf Jahi monuments near theCharminar include theMahboob Chowk Clock Tower andNizamia Hospital. TheChowmahalla Palace was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors.
H.E.H The Nizams Museum, Purani Haveli. Home to the famous wardrobe ofMahbub Ali Pasha, who is said never to have worn the same thing twice, it is the world's longest wardrobe, built in two levels with a hand-cranked wooden lift. The device occupies the entire length of one wing of the palace.
ThePurani Haveli was originally the palace of the Nizam's Parents, later renovated to become the quarters of the Nizam's son. It is a U-shaped complex with a single-story building in the European style.
Madina building, a few hundred metres North ofCharminar, is one of the oldest commercial suburbs in the city opened in 1947 on the premises of the Aladdin Wakf. Abdul Boot House was one of oldest and renowned shops at Madina Market. Before the discovery of oil in that country, Hyderabad was richer thanSaudi Arabia and the rents received from the area's buildings were sent to Saudi Arabia to help poor Muslims inMedina.
TheSalar Jung Museum at the bank of the RiverMusi contains the since augmented collections ofSalar Jung III former Prime Ministers of Hyderabad. The museum is reputed to be the world's largest one-man collection.[13] Nearby are the historicHyderabad High Court (1920),Osmania General Hospital (1919),State Central Library (1936),Aza Khana-e-Zohra (1930) andCity College (1921).
A few hundred metres east of theMusi isMalakpet. TheHyderabad Race Course was shifted here in 1886, byAsaf Jah VI near his palace, theMahbub Mansion. TheAsman Garh Palace andRaymond's Tomb are also located atMalakpet.
About six kilometres south ofCharminar, is theFalaknuma Palace. Built byViqar ul-Umra in 1872, theFalaknuma Palace is noted for its architecture and is the most opulent of theNizam's palaces.
Other mosques in the region include the 300-year-oldToli Masjid renowned for its architecture, and Pahaday Sharif, where 400 stairs brings visitors to a place of worship built by theNizams. There is a 400 year old Vaishnavite temple dedicated to Lord RanganathaRanganathaswamy Temple, which is located on the banks of the Musi River at Jiyaguda in Old City, Hyderabad.
At the far east of Old City isMir Alam Tank, the largest lake in the old city and the site of theNehru Zoological Park, a 300 acres (1.2 km2) area filled with various species of birds and animals. The tank is named after its builder Mir Alam,Prime Minister of Hyderabad, and comprises a one-mile bund with 21 semi-circular arches.[14]
Built during the period of the last Nizam,Mir Osman Ali Khan, theOsmania University has an imposing facade. After the Independence of India, the city has seen rapid growth in educational institutions, providing many facilities for their students. It also has a number of engineering colleges with proper facilities for the students.
The city has a distinct culture showing Islamic influences and a courtly presence resulting from its period as the capital of theNizams, which is more evident in the Old City.
The Old City has many restaurants offeringHyderabadi cuisine which is noted for its use of spices and herbs. The food is prepared using different types of spices, in which each spice adds a special taste to the food with a modern touch, while preserving the traditional quality of the food. The most famous dishes of Hyderabad areHyderabadi Biryani andHyderabadi Haleem.
Urdu is the primary language spoken in the Old City area, and was the official language of theHyderabad State under theNizams in 1884 AD.[15] The most common dialect ofUrdu spoken by the largely Muslim population is known asDakkhani or Deccani (meaning "language of the Deccan").Telugu is also widely spoken and understood.
Old Hyderabad City is 65% Muslim .[16] 30% are Hindus.[17] As per2011 Census, Christians number 9,687 while Sikhs number 7,166 in The Old Hyderabad City.[18] As per2011 Census,[16][17][18] The overall population ofHyderabad district was 39.43 lakhs, where Hindus at 20.46 lakhs (51.89%) and Muslims at 17.13 lakhs (43.35%).[19][20]
The old city is well connected by railway, road, and air. Auto rickshaws are available for getting around the city at reasonable rates whileTSRTC city buses circulate within the city and also travel to the nearby towns and villages. The eastern parts of the old city have access to theHyderabad metro via theMalakpet metro station.[21]Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station is in Old City, Hyderabad and the nearest railway station isHyderabad Deccan Station, which offers good connections with the rest ofIndia. The newly developed ShamshabadRajiv Gandhi International Airport lies 6 to 8 kilometres (3.7 to 5.0 mi) from the old city.
Sarojini Naidu describes theBazaars of Hyderabad in her poemIn The Bazaars of Hyderabad.[22]
Hyderabad has been a trading center for centuries and the bazaars of the old city are world-renowned for their pearls, diamonds, and bangles.
The street leading from Charminar to the square on the west is known asLaad Bazaar and is the bridal wear shopping market of the old city. Hyderabadi glass bangles known asSona Bai are available here. This colourful shopping market of the old city is tucked away in one of the streets leading off from the Charminar. Bangles, bridalwear, pearls,Attar (perfume) and the traditional Hyderabadi glass and stone studded bangles are all sold here.[23][24][25] TheMadina Market also known asMadina, Hyderabad is known for its wholesale cloth market providing goods from the regions ofTelangana, northernKarnataka, andMaharashtra.[26]
The markets of Charminar'sGulzar House are favoured for the gold, diamonds, and pearls with which Hyderabad is synonymous. Cultured pearls studded in gold and silver jewellery of intricate design are a speciality. Pearls come in many shapes and of particular interest is the 'rice-pearl' – a tiny variety. There is also the precious "Basra"; a pearl unmatched in lustre, colour, and price which is available in select stores. The pearls are sold in strings or raw by weight.[27]
As the Old City is the oldest part ofHyderabad, it is known for being neglected. It has a crumbling infrastructure, and faces issues such as heavy traffic,[28][29]water scarcity,[30] poor waste management[31] and poor maintenance of buildings. Many heritage structures in the area are also dilapidated and in need of restoration.[32]
