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Born: 400 years ago, in 1591.
Golconda, the capital of the Golconda kingdom, was becoming crowded and unmanageable so its ruler, Muhammad Quli Shah, commissioned a new town, insisting that it be beautifully planned and patterned on a grid.
Over the next three hundred years, Hyderabad - because of the fabulous wealth of her ruling princes - became an important focus of Muslim power in the South.

One of few important cities in India to have never fallen under white rule (the British granted the Nizam a degree of autonomy for the help rendered during the British offensive against Mysore's ruler, Tipu Sultan), Hyderabad is virtually devoid of a colonial quarter. Neither does it have much architecture of Victorian or Gothic or European denomination and the period buildings are predominantly in Islamic style.

Population: 4.28 million

Language: English is widely spoken. The local language is Telugu.

Climate: Maximum temperature 38 degrees Celsius, minimum temperature 12 degrees Celsius, annual rainfall less than 200 mm.

Best time to visit: November to February. Hyderabad is fairly hot throughout the year and does not receive much rainfall in the monsoon. Temperatures do, however, marginally come down in winter and December nights are cool.

Dress sense: Cool, conservative clothes. A light suit for formal meetings is required.

Beware of: Beggars, who are ubiquitous, can be very persistent until one parts with some small change.The chaotic traffic can be dangerous. The roads are congested and narrow. Tourists should exercise caution while crossing Hyderabad's roads.

And, of course, mosquitoes are an eternal problem.

Best photography spots: Golconda Fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Birla Mandir, Tank Bund, rock formations at Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills in Hyderabad and Mahendra Hills in Secunderabad, the Charminar area, Mecca Masjid and Film Nagar.

Inputs from Y Shiva Shankar in Hyderabad. Pictures are courtesy Dinodia Picture Agency.