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Falaknuma Palace
The most famous palace of Hyderabad, the Falaknuma Palace situated on a hill of 2000 feet high was built by Nawab Vikarul-Umra Bahadur, the Prime Minister of Hyderabad and a Paigah noble in1883-84. Located 4kms from the Charminar, the palace was purchased by Nizam VI in 1897 to be used as a royal guest house and has till now played host to luminaries like King George and Queen Mary, King Edward-VIII etc. Designed by an Italian architect, the palace took nine years to complete. Built entirely of Italian marble, the palace’s facade is reminiscent of European architecture.
Known for its lavishly decorated interiors, the palace is laid out in the shape of a scorpion with two stings spread out as wings on the north. The middle part is occupied by the main building while the kitchen and harem quarters stretch out to the south. The interiors of the main building have an Italian marble staircase supporting marble figures and lined with portraits of British Governor Generals. The palace's glass stained windows throw a spectrum of colors into the rooms. The palace also houses an exciting collection of rare treasures - paintings, statues, furniture, manuscripts and books collected by the Nizam from countries round the globe. The Jade as well as the crystal and gems collection of the Palace worth crores of rupees is considered to be unique in the world. The palace also has a library with a walnut carved roof, a replica of the one at Windsor Castle. The library had one of the finest collections of the holy Quran in India.