Salar Jung Museum

The Salar Jung Museum is the biggest museum in Hyderabad and one of the great private collections ever assembled by a single person. It holds the collection of Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, Salar Jung III, a prime minister of the Nizam's state who spent decades and a large part of his fortune buying art and antiques from India and across the world. After his death in 1949 the collection was opened to the public and later moved to its present building beside the Musi river, close to the Old City. The museum has dozens of galleries on two floors, with objects ranging from jade and ivory to Persian carpets, Indian miniatures, Mughal weapons, European paintings, clocks, furniture, textiles and manuscripts. Certain objects draw the crowds. The Veiled Rebecca, an Italian marble sculpture of a woman whose face appears beneath a translucent marble veil, is the best known, and the museum's musical clock, in which a miniature figure emerges to strike the hour while visitors gather in front, is a popular hourly spectacle. Other highlights include Mughal jade, the personal belongings of Mughal rulers, a gallery of Far Eastern porcelain and carved furniture, and a large collection of Quran manuscripts and illuminated books. The museum is large enough that nobody sees it all in one visit, and a guide helps you choose.

Visitor information on the museum's website is specific and useful. It is open from 10 am to 6 pm daily except Fridays and a short list of public holidays, ticket sales stop about 45 minutes before closing and the cloakroom needs to be cleared by the same time.

A small fee applies per device for photography, and flash photography is not allowed in the galleries. The museum discourages phone use and selfies inside the galleries, so use your phone sparingly and pay attention to the signs. Check the holiday list, since several major festivals close the museum.

The half-day tour linked here includes the museum with other city sights, which is a sensible way to use limited time. A guide can pick out the most important galleries, explain the story of the Salar Jung family and the Nizam's court, and make sure you reach the musical clock at the right time. Without a guide, give yourself at least three hours and decide in advance which sections interest you most: arms and armour, European art, Indian miniatures, textiles or the Far Eastern gallery, so you do not run out of energy before you reach the highlights.

Plan the day around the heat and the closures. Because the museum is indoors, it is a good choice in the middle of the day in summer, when the outdoor sights are punishing, and also in the monsoon. Wear comfortable shoes, leave large bags in the cloakroom and carry a bottle of water.

The museum is a short ride from Charminar and Mecca Masjid, so it pairs naturally with the Old City, and a good rhythm is to begin with the museum soon after opening, break for lunch and spend the afternoon in the bazaars. Remember that it is closed on Fridays, which is a day many visitors forget.