Heritage in Hyderabad

Salarjung Museum

Situated on the southern banks of Musi River, the Salarjung Museum has a unique distinction as the third largest museum in India and has a worldwide fame for its biggest one-man collections of antiques. It is widely known in India for its prized collections dating back to different civilizations. Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III, the former Prime Minister of the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, spent most of his income over a period of thirty-five years to gather such priceless collections, which according to historians was his intense passion.

The collections that was left behind in his ancestral Diwan Deodi palace were exhibited earlier as a private museum that was inaugurated by the then PM of India Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951. Later in the year 1968, the museum was shifted to its current location at Afzalgunj. The renowned museum is now administered by a Board of Trustees which also includes Governor of Telangana as an ex-officio chairperson as per the Salar Jung Museum Act of 1961.

The Museum is a royal treat for art collectors with its 43,000 art objects and 50,000 priceless books and manuscripts. The collections range from Indian Art, Middle Eastern Art, European Art, Far Eastern Art, Children Art etc. in addition to a founders gallery and a rare manuscript division. Indian Art forms include collections of stone sculptures, jade carvings, painted textiles, bronze images, miniature paintings, woodcarvings, modern art, textiles, metal-ware, arms & armor, ivory carvings etc. Middle Eastern Art houses an exquisite collection of carpets, glass, furniture, metal-ware, lacquer etc. from Arabia, Persia, Syria, and Egypt. Collection of Far Eastern Art covers lacquer ware, porcelain, enamel, bronze, embroidery, wood & inlay work, paintings from Tibet, China, Japan, Nepal and Thailand etc. Oil and watercolor paintings also constitute an important part of the European Collection.

It also houses the world famous statue of Veiled Rebecca and Marguerite and Mephistopheles, a fine collection of jade, daggers owned by Queen Noor Jahan, Emperors Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb’s sword and other timeless masterpieces. The museum is a semicircular shaped building with 38 galleries spread across two floors. The ground floor covers 20 galleries while the first floor has 18 of them. The exhibits covering different subjects are shown at separate galleries.

  • How to Reach
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Salarjung Museum, located close to Hyderabad High Court, is at a distance of nearly 5 km from the heart of Hyderabad. Situated on the banks of Musi River, it is accessible easily by road.

All days of the week except Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

There is a canteen located inside the museum for the comfort of tourists. Tourists can enjoy snacks, sodas and ice cream from the eateries outside. They can also choose other hotels, situated close by in the old city and Afzalgunj area of Hyderabad.

Tourists can buy old coins and other antique articles sold by vendors near the museum.

Telangana Tourism operates Plaza Hotel in Begumpet, Located at distance of 11.2 kms from Salarjung Museum is a comfortable stay. The Plaza hotel here is ideal for tourists visiting destinations in and around Hyderabad. There are standard and deluxe A/C rooms and the interiors are world-class, designed aesthetically to attract tourists. The rooms of the hotel are well-maintained, the environs look pleasing and this hotel is built in signature style in the midst of the city. There is also an attached restaurant here offering quality food for the visitors at specified timings. A prominent hotel of Telangana tourism, Plaza Hotel has well-laid tiles while the woodwork of suites indicate world-class construction, thereby creating a landmark hotel of the tourism department.

Haritha Taramathi baradari resort is located at a distance of 12.9kms from Salarjung Museum ,is an attractive destination in Hyderabad. The resort has an Open Air Auditorium, which is ideal for corporate gatherings and private events. It also has an Air Cooled Theatre and Banquet Hall that are a perfect fit for special events, conferences and exhibitions. It comes with an attached pantry, a multi – cuisine A/C restaurant and a 50 PAX A/c Bar(saqi) for spending some quality time.The resort also has a souvenir shop and swimming pool that comes with a modern health club with best facilities for fitness and leisure. There are A/C suites and A/C rooms that can be an ideal way to enjoy luxury in the vicinity of a prominent monument. Spending time close to a heritage destination with best accommodation and quality food, with all trappings of a resort has never been this wonderful!

Phone number
040 2457 6443