Salar Jung Museum

The Salar Jung Museum is named after Salar Jung III, who was known the world over as a discerning collector of antiques. Though quite a few items were inherited from his grandfather and his father, a major portion of the collection in the Museum was acquired by Salar Jung III. He was not only a great collector of antiques but also a patron of poets, writers and artists. He enthusiastically encouraged sports and cultural activities. Salar Jung died a bachelor in 1949, leaving behind a priceless collection of art objects, prayer manuscripts, and paintings from all over the world. And the museum was originally housed in Dewan Dodi. It was shifted to the present building in 1968. There are 43000 art objects, and 50000 books in the Museum. Among the noted items in the museum, two of the best pieces are the ’Veiled Rebecca’, a delicate marble statue of a woman seen through her veil, and ‘Marguerite and Mephistopheles’, a double figure wood carving done in 1876 by G.B.Benzoni. More than 80 original European paintings are displayed on the first floor. Some of the exhibits which leave visitors spell bound are the Japanese silk paintings, the hand-written miniator Quran, carpets woven in metallic and ivory threads, 300 walking sticks, English wine glasses, Nur Jehan’s dagger, Jahangirs wine cup, and Aurangazeb’s sword in the Jade room.