History & Context
Salar Jung Museum exists because of the collecting passion of Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, better known as Salar Jung III. Much of the collection came from his personal holdings, assembled before his death in 1949 and opened to the public in 1951.
Opened to the public in 1951 · Home to over 40,000 artefacts
What makes the museum unusual is how international it feels. European sculpture, Persian carpets, Japanese objects, Chinese porcelain, manuscripts, clocks and Indian art appear under one roof.
The museum rewards slow looking. Visitors move from miniature paintings to royal weapons, carved ivory, furniture and the famous Veiled Rebecca sculpture within a few galleries.
Do not plan this as a quick stop. Three hours is a reasonable minimum if you enjoy history, art or unusual objects.