An ancient granite fort keeps watch on this city of mosques and bazaars, the capital of the central state of Andhra Pradesh. On the site of the former town center sits its most iconic building, the Charminar, built in 1591 with 45 prayer spaces and a quartet of 160-foot minarets. Despite the city's rich history and conservative nature, it's also home to a modern IT district (Hi-tech City). Across Hussian Sagar, a man-made lake, is Hyderabad's twin, the city of Secunderbad.