Secunderabad is a city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated about 10 km on the east of its `twin city` Hyderabad. The two cities are connected by the road on the bund of the beautiful Hussain Sagar Lake. The city has a big parade ground, race course and polo ground. It is said that the British had one of their largest military establishments here. There is an observatory and the Saifabad Palace on the east of Hussain Sagar Lake here. Another big building here is the `Rashtrapati Nilayam at Bolarum`, which acts as the living quarters of the President whenever the president visits the place.

A large number of historic monuments can be seen around the city. Some of the places of tourist interest in Secunderabad are given here:

Mecca Masjid in Secunderabad
This Masjid has a similarity with the majestic one at Mecca. It is of 67 meter and 54 meter in length and breadth and 23 meter in height. The roof of this sacred hall is supported by a quarter dozen beautiful arches. It has an enormous wall, two huge octagonal columns made out of a single granite piece and a beautiful gallery under a dome. Almost ten thousand devotees can enter this spacious grand Mosque at a time. It is regarded as one of the largest Mosques in India. The interior and exterior designs are also done very carefully.

Golconda Fort in Secunderabad
This fort is situated about 11 km from the Secunderabad city. The Kakatiyas built this fort in the 13th century. This place has come into view over the years as a popular centre of diamond trade. The historic cannon known as the `Azhdaha Paikarcannon` can be seen on the south-east of the fort. This cannon was used by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. It was capable of firing shots of 40 kg in weight.

Qutub Shahi Tombs in Secunderabad
These Shahi tombs are dome topped and have a square base surrounded by pointed arches. They reflect the third and final stage of the 17th century architecture. These tombs are situated about a kilometer from the fort. These tombs have galleries of one storey and two stories. The original colours of the tiles laid in the domes were blue and green. But most of them have lost the colour today. The visitors are allowed from 09:30 hrs to 16:30 hrs and remains closed on Fridays.

Salarjung Museum in Secunderabad
This Museum was constructed by Salarjung III, the Prime Minister of the former Nizams. The tourists can see ancient articles of arts and paintings of different parts of the world here. The belongings of historic emperors like Aurangzeb, Tipu Sultan, Shah Jahan, Asaf Jahis, etc. can be seen in displayed in a room of this museum. The visitors are allowed to enter inside the fort from 10:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs. It remains closed on Fridays.

Paigah Tombs in Secunderabad
The tombs found here are 200 years old. These tombs can be seen at Santhosh Nagar. These are made out of lime and mortar with beautiful inlaid marble carvings.

Asman Garh Palace in Secunderabad
This impressive palace is located on a beautiful hillock. The name of the palace was derived from the name of its builder called Sir Asman Jah, a noble from the Paigah family. He was also the Prime Minister of Hyderabad state. It is made of granite and arched windows.

Osmania University in Secunderabad
This University has long corridors and halls filled with Ellora paintings. The graceful arches, the Damascus patterned huge gateway all made this structure a grand one. It is situated amidst tranquil gardens and a modern auditorium is situated within the campus.

Lumbini Park in Secunderabad
This park is comparatively a new one in this old city. A fascinating fountain show is organized here in which waters dance to the music. This show can be enjoyed from18:30 hrs to 20:00 hrs. The visiting hour is from 9:00 hrs to 21:00 hrs. It remains closed on Mondays.

Falaknuma Palace in Secunderabad
Sir Vikar Ul Umra built this palace. It was constructed following the Italian architecture. It is said that Nizam IV bought this wonderful palace in 1897. It has been internationally acclaimed due to its majestic beauty. The big halls of this grand palace are studded with precious stones. This palace is situated about 5 km from Charminar and stands on a beautiful hill. Some rare treasures collected by the Nizam are kept here but it is not open to visitors.

Purani Haveli in Secunderabad
The Purani Haveli was built following the 18th century European style in architecture. The longest wardrobe made of wood can be seen here. Mir Mahboob Ali built this majestic Haveli.

It was the abode of sixth Nizam. The furniture of western style can be seen in this Haveli. It is of 240 ft in length. Nawab Mukkaram Jah Bahadur donated this palace to Mukkaram Jah Trust in 1971 for educational purposes.

Raymond`s Tomb in Secunderabad
This ancient tomb is of Michael Raymond, a French mercenary. He worked as a commander in the military of the second Nizam. This tomb is situated at Saroornagar.

Nehru Zoological Park in Secunderabad
This massive park covers an area over 300 acres. It is counted among the largest parks in Asia. It was named after the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Sri Jawaharlal Nehru. More than 300 animal species and numerous captivating birds can be seen in this park. A special attraction of this park is the lion safari, the king of the jungle. This park is also known as `nocturnal zoo` due to the presence of the creatures, which remain active at nights and retire during the daytime. The visitors can see those animals through a special lighting system of the zoo. Pleasure rides on mini-train is also available here. The visitors are allowed entry from 09:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs. It remains closed on Mondays.

Public Gardens in Secunderabad
This public garden can be found in the city centre and it was earlier known as Bagh-e-aam. It contains many significant buildings like the State Legislature Assembly, the Jubilee Hall, the Jawahar Bal Bhavan, the open-air theatre known as `Lalita Kala Toranam`, the archaeological Museum and the Health Museum.

Some rare artifacts, sculptures, ancient inscriptions, old age coins, a host of armory and traditional crafts such as Bidri articles, old Chinaware and textiles etc can be seen in the `State Museum` here.

B.M. Birla Planetarium/Science Museum in Secunderabad
This museum is set with most advanced technologies. A significant part of the mysterious universe can be seen concisely here. Those who enjoy Astronomy must visit this. Various shows are organized almost everyday. The planetarium is open for the visitors from 10:30 hrs to 15:00 hrs. It remains closed on the last Thursday of every month.

Enormous facades of science can be seen displayed in this Science Museum. The visiting hour is from 10:30 hrs to 20:15 hrs. This museum also remains closed on the last Thursday of every month.