[3] Mubariz Khan, the Mughal governor of Deccan Subah, had fortified the city in 1712 and was completed by Nizam of Hyderabad.

[8][11][12] As the historical region of Hyderabad, the old city contains many landmark buildings including Charminar (literally "four minarets"), a structure built on the spot where Quli Qutb Shah prayed for the end to a plague epidemic.

Asaf Jahi monuments near the Charminar include the Mahboob Chowk Clock Tower and Nizamia Hospital.

The Chowmahalla Palace was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors.

Madina building, a few hundred metres North of Charminar, is one of the oldest commercial suburbs in the city opened in 1947 on the premises of the Aladdin Wakf.

[13] Nearby are the historic Hyderabad High Court (1920), Osmania General Hospital (1919), State Central Library (1936), Aza Khana-e-Zohra (1930) and City College (1921).

Other mosques in the region include the 300-year-old Toli Masjid renowned for its architecture, and Pahaday Sharif, where 400 stairs brings visitors to a place of worship built by the Nizams.

The tank is named after its builder Mir Alam, Prime Minister of Hyderabad, and comprises a one-mile bund with 21 semi-circular arches.

[14] Built during the period of the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Osmania University has an imposing facade.

[15] The most common dialect of Urdu spoken by the largely Muslim population is known as Dakkhani or Deccani (meaning "language of the Deccan").

The newly developed Shamshabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport lies 6 to 8 kilometres (3.7 to 5.0 mi) from the old city.

[22] Hyderabad has been a trading center for centuries and the bazaars of the old city are world-renowned for their pearls, diamonds, and bangles.

The street leading from Charminar to the square on the west is known as Laad Bazaar and is the bridal wear shopping market of the old city.