Hyderabad - Salar Jung Museum

The collection housed in Salar Jung Museum is said to be the largest single collection of antiques in the world. The 35,000 piece collection was assembled by Mir Yusaf Ali Khan, Salar Jung III.

Salar Jung Museum features exhibits from all over the world including European paintings and sculpture, most famously the "Veiled Rebecca" by Italian sculptor Giovanni Maria Benzoni, as well as Chinese and Japanese pieces. Other items of note are textiles, swords, glass, Indian miniatures, jade, ivory, devotional objects, illuminated manuscripts and over 50,000 books.

Several extraordinary displays are the dressing table that belonged to Marie-Antoinette, and daggers belonging to Queen Noor Jahan and the Emperors Jahangir.

The Salar Jung Museum has been declared an Institution of National Importance by the Indian Parliament. This is an attraction that should not be missed when visiting Hyderabad!