Hyderabad, Telangana - India

I’m excited to join up again this month with fellow blogger Fiona Ryan's  A-Z Guidebook Travel Linkup over at Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures. This travel tale link-up goes from January 15th - January 22th, this time travels with the letter "H".

"H" is for Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Hyderabad known as the "City of Pearls" is the combined capital city of the Southern Indian States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and is the 4th most populated city in India.

It was established in 1591 by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, before the Mughals captured the region a century later. In 1724, Asif Jah I created his own dynasty, known  famously as the Nizams of Hyderabad. The Qutb Shahis and Nizams established Hyderabad as a multicultural and intellectual hub and that tradition continues to be the case in the present day, attracting major Indian and International manufacturing, research and financial institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and especially IT earning it the nickname "Cyberabad." Hyderabad is also home to Tollywood, the Telugu film industry, and it's base - Ramoji Film City, the country's second-largest producer of movies.

This is the place where my dear husband is from, he grew up in this city. It is a beautiful city mixing cultures, religions, and traditions; some old and new. We visited these old and new places making new memories in them together. The Charminar was commissioned by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591-2 at the center of the city, to commemorate the eradication of plague and is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble.
As we walked through the crowded Choodi Bazzaar, the towers started to appear and grow at the end of the street, past the bangle sellers and food stalls... closer and closer. Just a few steps and we would be there... crossing the street dodging honking auto rickshaws, taxis, and darting past pedestrians and we were there. Standing at the base taking in the size of this monument, the decoration and how it  incorporates both Muslim and Hindu architectural styles, it's truly amazing. We go past a small fountain and start up one of the minarets hand laid spiral stone staircases to the balcony for the view. But it's not the view that first catches my eye but the intricate detailed floral work throughout the structure, then the view.

Hyderabad, Telangana - India

For more Letter "H" travel stories, visit A-Z Guidebook Linkup. Stay tuned next month for more travel, centering around the Letter "I"!