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One
of the finest palaces in Hyderabad, the monument
is situated on a hill of 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. |
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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, varies influences show
on the palace architecture. Louis XIV-style decor
with a lavish Mughal ambience, Italian marble staircases
and ornate fountains. Its glass stained windows throw
a spectrum of colours 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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