A Walk in the Old City

To spend a morning in the Old City, the area around the Charminar, is to step back a century into an old and fascinating Muslim world. Along its narrow lanes, bangle sellers vie for space with prayer mat vendors, attar (perfume) merchants, waraq (silver leaf) makers, naan (tandoori bread) bakers, Unani doctors (who practice traditional Islamic medicine), hawkers of charms and spells, and outfitters of turbans and sherwani (a knee-length straight-cut coat, with a small round neck, worn by Muslim men).

The dull ring of the waraq maker's hammer against his layers of leather and silver mingles with the cries of the merchants and the bells of cycle taxis and cart drivers as you pass. If you ask for directions to any shop or landmark you may be told that it no longer exists, or that the people have gone away, or that you possibly mean some other shop or landmark. Don't be deterred: locals don't often deliberately mislead visitors; it's usually because they don't want to admit they don't know something, such as directions to a place, or because they may not recognize your pronunciation of a street or landmark's name. Ask a glass bangle seller for the whereabouts of a bidri or pearl shop, and he will tell you that there are no bidri or pearl shops in Hyderabad. Make sure you have a map and you've got your bearings, or you might find it difficult to find your way out again.