Chowmahalla Palace

Chowmahalla Palace is the palace complex that best shows how the Nizams of Hyderabad lived and ruled. Its name means four palaces, and the compound is arranged around two large courtyards with four main palace buildings, long galleries, a lawn with a reflecting pool and fountains. Construction began in the middle of the eighteenth century under the Nizam Salabat Jung and carried on for generations, reaching its present form in the later nineteenth century, so the buildings blend Persian, Indo-Saracenic, Rajasthani and European styles. The Asaf Jahi dynasty used the palace for state ceremonies, receptions and the formal investiture of its rulers. The best known part of the complex is the Khilwat Mubarak, the durbar hall, a large columned hall where the Nizam held court beneath huge Belgian crystal chandeliers, with the marble throne platform at one end and a reflection of the entire hall in the polished floor. Other buildings hold galleries with photographs, weapons, textiles and dresses, and a collection of vintage cars, including old Rolls-Royces and other models associated with the Nizam's household, is kept in the old garage area. The palace gardens, with their long water channel and fountains, make the whole site feel like a place built for ceremony rather than for fighting.

Visitor rules are clear and worth knowing. According to the palace's own visitor information, it is open from Saturday to Thursday in the daytime, with the ticket counter closing in the late afternoon and a closing time shortly afterwards, and it is closed on Fridays. Photography rules are a little confusing, with a small fee for mobile phone photography but a ban on filming and videography, so check at the entrance and follow the staff.

Alcohol and tobacco are not allowed on the grounds, and you should plan to spend about two hours walking on marble, grass and gravel.

The private tour linked here combines the palace with Charminar and is a natural way to see the royal and the popular sides of the Old City in a single outing. A guide helps with the layout of the complex, explains who used which building and how the Nizam's court worked, and puts the buildings into the story of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, which ruled the Hyderabad state from the early eighteenth century until Hyderabad joined the Indian Union in 1948. If you prefer to explore alone, begin with the durbar hall, then the galleries, and leave time for the gardens and the car collection.

A few pieces of advice improve the visit. Arrive soon after opening, when the courtyards are quiet and the light is good for photography, and avoid Fridays, when the palace is closed. Wear comfortable shoes and take a hat in the hot months, because the courtyards are open and exposed.

Carry water, as food is not allowed to be left behind. The palace is within a short ride of Charminar and Mecca Masjid, so it combines naturally with them, and a good rhythm is to start here in the morning, walk through the bazaars at midday and finish with an Irani cafe tea.

Do not rush the gardens at the back. The long water channel with its fountains and the symmetrical lawns are part of the original design, and they give the palace the formal composure that the Nizams intended. Sitting on a bench there for ten minutes, away from the tour groups, is one of the quiet pleasures of the Old City.