By Robert Selwitz

Hyderabad's story starts with diamonds. Not that they were ever found here, but what today is India's sixth largest city started life as a solution for the overcrowding in nearby Golconda Fort. And the fort was there due to its proximity to what for centuries was the world's only known diamond mine.

Today, since the mines (which were the source of the Hope and Kohinoor diamonds) have essentially been played out, Hyderabad's 3.6 million residents thrive by trade and by all the innovations and operations emerging from its very modern HITEC (Hyderabad Information Technology and Engineering Consultancy) district. Indeed, 21st-century Hyderabad competes vigorously with Bangalore and Chennai for the role of being India's leading IT center.

In 1591, when Golconda's rulers started searching for a new city site, revenues from the nearby mines and all the commerce that came from being the world's source for diamonds had made them fabulously rich. Their riches extended beyond their treasuries to their imaginations. In fact, the Golconda king who founded Hyderabad said he did not want just a comfortable new city but one that was an embodiment of heaven on earth.

Heaven is not what immediately leaps to mind now when encountering Hyderabad's bustling and tumultuous core. But its markets and Charminar — the heart of the new city — definitely grab one's attention.

That clearly was the goal of founder Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. And the Charminar, the entrance to his then-new palace complex, is still the city's visual icon. It stands 184 feet high and has four mighty arches that took 21 years to complete. It's possible to climb two levels to the top via 149 steps for even better views of the surrounding commerce that's the calling card of Hyderabad's oldest quarter.

Also worth exploring is luxurious Chowmahalla Palace, which became the site of religious and social gatherings of the city's nizams, or rulers. Amid courtyards and an impressive pool, the most striking structure is Durbar Hall. There 19 Belgian chandeliers hang above a marble platform upon which the royal seat was placed. Also intriguing is a display of automobiles that includes a 1912 Rolls-Royce, plus magnificent textiles, clothing, crockery and arms. Today Chowmahalla is used for musical performances as well as weddings designed to impress.

Another must is the Mecca Masjid, close to the Charminar. Everyone can stroll through the massive courtyard that can hold 10,000, but only men can enter the inner prayer area.

Needless to say, downtown Hyderabad, like almost all of urban India, is a riot of color and sound. Merchants sell everything from clothing and accessories to jewelry, household items, shoes, and an array of foods and vegetables. Almost everything is grouped by product type with separate streets where everyone sells bangles while nearby is an area where merchants just sell saris. Other prime draws are stores selling pearls of all shapes, sizes and values.

The mix of people in all manner of dress also makes downtown exciting. Totally covered women with only their eyes exposed shop alongside women in colorful saris, and everyone has to constantly dodge motorcycles, scooters, tuk-tuks, cars and bicycles. A good spot for a timeout is the Nimrah Cafe and Bakery, which offers tea with milk plus a wide variety of Indian sweets.

There were seven nizams (the title roughly means "administrator of the realm") who ruled Hyderabad between 1724 and 1948. That year the last to rule was deposed.

Following the 1947 partition in which Great Britain withdrew from India, its territory was divided between India and the new state of Pakistan. The nizam wanted the state of Hyderabad — then approximately the size of France — to remain independent. Since the new Indian government was not going to allow such a huge state to exist in its midst, a four-day-long invasion that caused hundreds of deaths led to the deposing of the monarch and the ending of the monarchy. Subsequently Hyderabad was incorporated into the new state of India.

Though the nizam lost power, he didn't lose the wealth that made him one of the wealthiest men on earth. To appreciate his fortune, a sampling of his possessions is viewable at the surprisingly compact Nizams Museum. Here are some of the gifts he received at the 1936 Silver Jubilee celebration marking the 25th year of his reign.

Highlights include jeweled boxes lined with diamonds, diamond- and gold-studded daggers, a silver filigree elephant, a golden wooden throne and glass inlay pieces. Also here are copious paintings, photos and textiles, footwear, furniture, silver building models, glassware and crockery.

It's also worthwhile to sample the massive and fascinating Salar Jung Museum. Widely regarded as one of the world's greatest antique collections, it is full of items collected by the man who was Hyderabad's prime minister from 1899 to 1949. Spread over three dozen halls, highlights include the swords and daggers of Aurangzeb, the 17th-century conqueror of Golconda. Also here are the turban of legendary Indian ruler Tipu Sultan, a priceless collection of silver and gold Korans, a massive grouping of clocks and sundials, fabulous silks and weavings, woodcut paintings, porcelains, manuscripts, ceramics, carvings, carpets, furniture and sculpture.

There's also plenty to see outside of Hyderabad, such as the seven Qutb Shahi Tombs. They house the remains of Golconda kings who ruled from 1516 until the dynasty's overthrow in 1687. Built on a raised platform with balustrades and beautiful minarets, they are surrounded by gardens. Among the most eye-catching is the multi-arch tomb of Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. His edifice rises to a height of 140 feet and is topped by a huge dome

Members of a noble family are interred in the 18th- and 19th-century Paigah tombs. Elegant and imposing, they feature extraordinary stucco design and intricate and delicate screens.

Less than a mile away are the impressive ruins of Golconda Fort itself. Originally built of mud in the 12th century, it evolved into a citadel that boasted more than three miles of double walls and eight mighty entrance gates. Because of its proximity to the world's only source of diamonds at that time (access to diamonds in South Africa and other current centers came centuries later), Golconda Fort and the people who lived and traded there became fabulously wealthy.

Fort highlights include the armory, great canons and the Durbar Hall (main meeting space). The acoustics here are remarkable. Somehow the builders at one of the main entrances constructed the area so that any sounds would radiate great distances. It was a kind of aural protection that might have proved valuable.

But as it happened no one ever successfully attacked the fort. When it did fall in 1687, it is believed that treachery from someone inside the fortress aided the entry of Aurangzeb and his conquering Mughal army.

WHEN YOU GO

The Hyatt is a luxury property that is well-located for city and regional touring: www.hyderabad.hyatthotels.hyatt.

Greaves Tours provide knowledgeable guides and drivers for explorations within and outside of Hyderabad: www.greavesindia.com.

For general information about Hyderabad tourism: www.hyderabadtourism.in

The Charminar is the most famous structure in Hyderabad, India. Photo courtesy of Barbara Selwitz.

Locals sell fruits and vegetables at the market near Charminar in Hyderabad, India. Photo courtesy of Barbara Selwitz.

Robert Selwitz is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.