Falaknama Palace (sometimes called 'Mirror of the Sky') is one of the finest palaces in Hyderabad. It is situated on a hill of 2000 feet high, located 5 km south of Charminar. It was built by Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra, the fifth Paigah Emir and was purchased by Nizam VI in 1897 to be used as a royal guest house. Currently, it belongs to Nawab Mukarramjah Bahadur, the grandson of Nizam VII. Its foundation was laid on March 3, 1884. It took 9 years to complete the construction of the Palace. Hyderabad may refer to various places: Hyderabad, India, Hyderabad state, the pre-1956 Indian state Hyderabad, Pakistan, for the city in Sindh, Pakistan This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Charminar is a monument located in the City of Hyderabad which is the capital city of the State of Andhra Pradesh in South India. ... 1897 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1884 is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar). ...

The palace was designed by an Italian architect and follows a western architectural style. It 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. Superfamilies Pseudochactoidea Buthoidea Chaeriloidea Chactoidea Iuroidea Scorpionoidea See the classification section for families. ... In traditional Arab culture, the harîm حريم (cf. ...

The Nawab being an avid traveller, varied influences are reflected in the palace architecture. It features 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. A Nawab was originally the provincial governor or viceroy of a province or region of the Mughal empire. ... Louis XIV King of France and Navarre By Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701) Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638–September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ... The Mughal Empire (alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

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 has a library with a walnut carved roof, a replica of the one at Windsor Castle and one of the finest collections of the holy Qurans in India. A selection of antique, hand-crafted Chinese jadeite jade buttons Jade An ornamental stone, jade is a name applied to two different silicate minerals. ... An early 18th century view of Windsor Castle by Kip and Knyff. ... The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ...