At the crossroads of North and South India on the rocky Deccan Plateau, Hyderabad is the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh and the country’s sixth-largest city, with nearly 9 million inhabitants. Hyderabad has a distinctive culture that mixes Hindu and Muslim traditions. The city’s famous Laad Bazaar sells silverware, saris, paintings, lacquer bangles and unique Bidriware handicrafts. The Jewels of the Nizams of Hyderabad once formed the richest collection of gems in India. Prior to being sold and dispersed, it contained more than 25,000 diamonds, including the Jacob Diamond, one of the world’s largest at 184.79 carats. Valued at more than $150 million, it was reputedly used by the last Nizam as a paperweight.

Hyderabad’s Old City is still a place of shadowy mosques and teeming bazaars clustered around the Charminar, a 16th-century landmark with four distinctive minarets.