| Falaknuma
Palace |
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(A View of one of the elaborate
Staircases)
One of the finest palaces in Hyderabad, the monument is situated on a hill 2000 feet high, located 5 Km. south of Charminar.
Built by Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra, the fifth Paigah Emir, it was purchased by Nizam VI in 1897 as was used as a royal guest
house and is now the property of Nawab Mukarramjah Bahadur, the grandson of Nizam VII.
The palace was designed by an Italian architect and its foundation was laid on the 3rd of March, 1884, it took 9 years to
complete the construction of the Palace. The palace boasts of one of the most lavishly decorated interiors.
This exquisite palace made of Italian marble was built by one of the Paigah nobles Nawab Vicar Ul Umra in 1892. A majesty testimony to the glory of the
Nizams, it stands atop a hill 2000 feet high. It has often been referred to as the 'Mirror of the Sky'. The palace was designed by a Italian
architect and follows a western architectural style. Falaknuma houses a large collection of rare treasures collected by the Nizam including paintings,
statues, furniture, manuscripts and books. The Jade collection of the Palace is
considered to be unique in the world.
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 and the
kitchen and harem quarters stretch to the south. The Nawab being an avid
traveller, various influences show on the palace architecture Louis XIV-style
decor co-exists with a lavish Mughal ambience, Italian marble staircases and
ornate fountains. Its glass stained windows throw a spectrum of colors into the
rooms. The palace 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.
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