The Salar Jung Museum of Hyderabad houses one of the richest repositories of the artistic achievements from countries all over the globe. Located on the banks of the River Musi, the museum showcases the private collection of one man- Mir Yousuf Ali Khan or Salar Jung III , the Prime Minister (from 1012-14) to Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad. A great connoisseur of art, Salar Jung III spent a good part of his life and wealth in collecting objects d'art from countries all over the world. Spread over two floors and 38 galleries, the museum is a treasure trove of 43,000 art exhibits and 50,000 books collected from all over the world. Even then, the exhibited art objects constitute a little over 25% of the entire collection. Many people believe that the present collection is half of what Salar Jung had amassed in his lifetime. It is generally held that either a part of the wealth was either siphoned off by his employees or got lost or stolen during the shifting of the museum from Dewan Devdi to its present site. Still, whatever the reasons might be, there is no doubt that this great treasure trove is a tribute to man's eternal quest for beauty and elegance. The museum was inaugurated on 16 December, 1951 by Jawaharlal Nehru and its priceless collection was housed in the 100-year-old palace Dewan Devdi. It was later shifted to its present premises in 1968, and was declared open by the then president of India Dr. Zakir Hussain.

The Salar Jung Museum showcases an eclectic mix of art ranging from countries like India, Nepal, Tibet, Egypt, Far East and Europe. The marvelous collection consists of sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, glassware, arms and armor, Chinese porcelain, Japanese lacquer ware, clocks, invaluable collections of jade, bronzes, enamelware, paintings, wood and inlay work etc.

Some of the Museum's famous collection includes:

Founder's Gallery

Devoted solely to the Salar Jung's family, the gallery showcases the life & times of the Salar Jungs with their portraits, and personal artifacts. The gallery also has the portraits of the Nizams of Hyderabad and also has on display momentos like the panegyric in Urdu presented to Sir Salar Jung & Nizam VI in memory of their having attended the Imperial Proclamation of Queen Victoria in 1877 at Delhi.

The Manuscripts Collection

The manuscripts gallery has an excellent collection of rare books and manuscripts in Persian and Urdu. Some of the manuscripts include the great Arabic Al Quran in Nashq done by Yakut-al-Must’sami bearing the autographs of Mughul emperors, Jehangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb; Roudat-ul-Muhabbin by Amir HussainiSaadat (1379 A.D.); and hte Urdu poetic composition Diwan-e-Mohamed Quli Qutub Shah (1595 A.D.) done by Quli Qutub Shah himself.

The Ivory Gallery

Ivory chairs presented to Tipu Sultan by Louis XV of France; a handsome beer mug; early 20th century German circus figures chess sets, statuettes etc.,all done by adopting the cutaway technique.

Musical Clock Gallery

From an ancient Sandiaers in the form of obelisks to huge and modern clocks of the twentieth century, the Musical Clock Gallery houses an interesting array of clocks from countries as far as France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Britain.

Sculpture Gallery

The world famous Veiled Rebecca and the 19th century double-figure wood sculpture by the Italian G.H. Benzoni is worth seeing. The double statue in the Neo-classical style stands before a mirror and shows the facade of a nonchalant Mephistopheles and the image of a demure Margaretta in the mirror.

Jade Gallery

The stunning Jade gallery has an interesting collection of Jade items that showcase the mastery of the Indian artisans in their design and carvings. The collection includes jade stand of Altamash, a fruit knife of Mughal empress Noor Jehan (17th century); a jade hunting knife of emperor Jehangir; an inscribed archery ring of emperor Shah Jehan done in dark green jade (17th century) and the jade wine bowls and cups.

Arms and Armor Gallery

Aurangzeb's sword, daggers belonging to empress Noor Jehan, emperors Jehangir and Shah Jehan, a sword of the Qutb Shahi period with Dasavatara engraving etc.

Indian Collection

The Indian collection chronicles the country's rich and diverse cultural heritage. Worth seeing are the standing limestone image of the Buddha from Nelakondapalli (2nd or 3rd century A.D.); Mukhalinga from Kausambi (4th or 5th century A.D.); Ananthasayi Vishnu with his ten avatars carved on top (12th century A.D., Kakatiyaa, Warangal); Jain, Buddhist and Hindu bronzes dating back to later Pallava and Chola periods etc.

In addition to the above, the museum has a few other galleries which showcases the oil paintings like the “Soap Bubbles” by Fransesco Hayez of Italy; “Piazzo of San Marco” by Antonio Canaletto (1697-1768) and “Venice” by Marc Aldine of Italy; pottery and glassware from Europe; porcelain from China etc.